MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Sylvia Fowles had a season-high 30 points to go with 16 rebounds while pacing the Minnesota Lynx to a 89-65 matinee victory over the Indiana Fever.
Fowles, a 6-foot-6 Olympic gold medalist and reigning WNBA MVP who was recently named to her fifth WNBA All-Star Game, helped Minnesota to a 36-24 rebounding edge that contributed to 17 second-chance points as the Lynx snapped a two-game skid in front of a raucous Kids Day crowd of 17,933. Minnesota, 13-10, avenged a 71-59 Indiana victory at Target Center just 15 days ago and handed the Fever, 2-21, their fifth straight loss since the upset win.
The Fever, who rarely trailed in the 71-59 upset on July 3, never led Wednesday while Fowles shot 13-of-15 from the floor to lead a 52 percent shooting afternoon for the Lynx.
“When teams shoot almost 53 percent, you have to think to yourself, ‘We’re not making them very uncomfortable, are we?’” suggested Fever coach Pokey Chatman. “Sylvia shot 13-of-15 and she’s the best in the world. We let her get comfortable under the bucket and stay comfortable. And she buried us.”
Minnesota led 27-21 after one quarter, then scored 10 unanswered points to begin the second period and command a 16-point advantage. The Lynx got 18 first-half points from Fowles and 13 from Seimone Augustus – and led by as many as 22 before halftime when Danielle Robinson’s free throw staked Minnesota to a 51-29 lead with less than two minutes before intermission.
The Lynx matched the 22-point bulge again in the third period with a 3-pointer from Alexis Jones and led 70-50 heading to the fourth quarter. A bucket by Fowles opened the fourth quarter for another 22-point margin and the Lynx eased the lead to 24 late in the final period.
“I have to give credit to Minnesota,” added Chatman, “but I would like more for teams to take things from us rather than [us] always contributing to our own demise. Don’t get me wrong, I really do give Minnesota credit for making things so hard on us. I would just like for that to be the only reason for our difficulties.”
Indiana was led by Candice Dupree’s 20, her second straight game with 20 points or more, and her fourth of the season. On the game’s second possession, she also became the eighth player in WNBA history to secure 2,700 career rebounds. Cappie Pondexter finished with 10 points for the Fever, including a pair of free throws that helped her pass Katie Smith with the fifth-most free throws (1,441) in league annals.
The Indiana veterans were the Fever’s only players to reach double-figure scoring. Augustus joined Fowles among double-digit scorers for Minnesota, scoring all her points in the first half. Maya Moore and Cecillia Zandalasini each added 10 for the Lynx.
The Fever claimed distinction with a first-quarter 3-pointer by Victoria Vivians, her only score of the afternoon, making Indiana just the third club in league history with a rookie duo (Vivians and Kelsey Mitchell) who both boast at least 40 3-point field goals in their first season.
Indiana continues a stretch of seven games in 14 days when the Fever visit Los Angeles, Friday, and Las Vegas, Sunday.