Fever Fall Flat vs Lynx as Injuries Loom Over Regular Season Finale: Takeaways

The Indiana Fever did not have a good finish to the WNBA regular season.

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) reacts to a call from the referee on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026, during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White previously said the team's focus was to keep playing well heading into the playoffs despite not having much at stake in the regular season finale in Minnesota against the Lynx. Well, that wasn't the case, in what was essentially the opposite outcome of the prior meeting between the two teams.

The Fever jumped all over the Lynx on Tuesday night, and they got jumped on Thursday, falling behind by 30 at halftime. It ended with an 86-66 Minnesota win in what was a season-low scoring effort from Indiana. That came complete with bad defense and a woeful shooting performance, including from stars Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell.

Clark couldn't find the range at all, hitting on only 1-of-12 shots from the floor, and 0-for-7 from three. Mitchell wasn't much more accurate, connecting on 3-of-12 but two of the makes were from beyond the arc. The prodigious scoring duo combined for only 12 points.

There's an argument to be made the starters should have sat the game out given Indiana did not have much to play for.

Injuries Could Carry Over

While the result wasn't significant, some injuries from the game could carry over to the postseason, specifically the one suffered by reserve guard Tyasha Harris.

Aliyah Boston also left the game early due to a right lower-leg injury, but Boston has been managing that all season. Coach Stephanie White called it a flare up after the game in stating that Boston was held out for precautionary reasons.

Harris, however, was clearly hurt during the contest. She was clutching her lower left leg and had to be carried off the court. There was no update on her status afterward.

Harris figured to be a rotation piece for the Fever in the postseason and has been a reliable cog for the team all year. If she is out, rookie Raven Johnson may be called upon in some crucial situations.

And the Fever will become even more reliant on Clark and Mitchell than they already were.

Fever Won't Face Dream

If there was some good news as a result of the rough loss, it's that the Fever won't be facing the Atlanta Dream in the first round of the playoffs.

As a result of the loss, Indiana fell to the sixth seed given the Washington Mystics won versus the Chicago Sky. The Mystics and Fever finished with the same record, but Washington holds the tiebreaker due to head-to-head record, thanks in part to a dominant Mystics win over Indiana on Sunday.

The Fever will now take on either the Las Vegas Aces or Golden State Valkyries. If the Aces win against the Phoenix Mercury and the Valkyries beat the Los Angeles Sparks, Las Vegas will stay in third and be the first-round opponent. That remains the case if the Aces lose. If the Aces win and the Valkyries lose, it will be Golden State.

Either way, the playoffs and the best-of-three series will tip-off on Sunday. The Fever will certainly hope for a better performance when the stakes increase.