Fever Win Over Lynx Significantly Narrows Playoff Seeding Possibilities

The Indiana Fever's win over the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday makes their potential playoff seeding much clearer.

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark dribbling down the court against the Minnesota Lynx. | IMAGO / Icon Sportswire

The Indiana Fever defeated the Minnesota Lynx 96-77 on Tuesday. This result creates a lot more clarity on where the Fever might end up in the WNBA standings once the regular season ends.

The best element of this victory against Minnesota is that the Fever can finish no further than the No. 6 seed, regardless of how their regular season finale against the Lynx goes. This is a significant shift, as the No. 7 or 8 seed was still a possibility if the Fever had lost.

Indiana is still technically capable of getting the No. 3 seed, but that's highly unlikely. The Las Vegas Aces (who have two more games, including one against the Los Angeles Sparks Tuesday night) and the Atlanta Dream (who have one more game against the New York Liberty) would have to lose all of their remaining contests. If the Aces win one game, they secure the No. 3 seed.

The No. 4 seed is also an uphill climb for Indiana. If the Dream win that final game, the No. 4 seed is theirs (assuming the Aces also win a game). However, if the Dream lose and the Fever beat the Lynx again, Indiana would then take the tiebreaker and the four seed.

Landing at either the No. 5 or the No. 6 seed is a strong possibility for the Fever, in what has become a battle with the Washington Mystics.

The Fever are one game ahead of the Mystics. So if they beat the Lynx on Thursday, they would secure the No. 5 seed. This would also be the case if Washington lost to the Chicago Sky on Thursday.

But if the Fever lose and the Mystics win their final game, the Mystics would take the No. 5 seed because they own the tiebreaker against Indiana.

The fourth or fifth seed would almost certainly mean a showdown with the Dream in the first round, with home-court depending on the seed. While landing at No. 6 would result in a date with the Aces.

Indiana Fever players celebrate against the Minnesota Lynx. | IMAGO / Icon Sportswire

Fever Will Likely Face Full Lynx Roster on Thursday

If there's one downside to Indiana beating Minnesota on Tuesday, it means they'll likely face a full complement of players on Thursday.

The Golden State Valkyries face the Portland Fire on Tuesday night. Assuming they win, they would have the same record as Minnesota for the No. 1 seed.

Minnesota has the tiebreaker over Golden State. But if the Lynx were to lose to the Fever on Thursday and the Valkyries won their final game against the Los Angeles Sparks on Thursday, the Valkyries would take that No. 1 seed.

Thus, the Lynx (who sat their starters in the second half on Tuesday) should trot out their regular rotation in an attempt to beat Indiana. That means players like Olivia Miles (who missed Tuesday's game) could be active as long as they're healthy, even though it seemed like the Lynx might have rested their best players if they had already locked down the No. 1 seed.