Minnesota Lynx one game from third WNBA championship

She was absent for large portions of the night. “We don’t want it to be done yet”.

For the game, the Fever were 25 of 29 from the stripe, compared to just 6 of 9 for the Lynx. “But we know heading into Game 5, it’s going to take all 12 of us”.

“I think it comes from inside, and then you have great leaders like Tamika Catchings and Stephanie White who can pull it out of you at the right time”, Johnson said of the Fever’s intestinal fortitude. “I really love this team”. We come together at the times we’ve needed to the most. “Even though we made only one field goal in the fourth quarter, our players responded to the challenge”.

Catchings had 10 points, four rebounds, two steals and two blocks.

For a Minnesota team that takes great pride in not fouling much and playing tough but clean defense, such free throw numbers for an opponent are particularly galling.

With 8:26 left in the quarter, Indiana trailed 38-36. After Fowles picked up her third foul at 8:42 in the second quarter, the Lynx were outscored 14-6 over the next six minutes, and entered halftime trailing by four points.

Indiana led 51-44 before Coleman scored five straight, including a 3-pointer with 1:28 left in the third that gave the Fever the biggest lead of the series for either team at 58-44. That was the Fever’s only basket in a nine-minute stretch.

Indiana hosts Minnesota on Sunday night in Game 4 of the WNBA Finals. The rest of the quarter was a 20-8 run by the Fever, with the Lynx unable to either score or get stops. Maya Moore hit a game-winner at the buzzer to lift Minnesota on Friday night.

A bright spot was Lindsey Whalen, who had her best game of the Finals with 16 points. It was the kind of moment that will be replayed for years on end should Minnesota go on to win the title. The Indiana Fever extended the best-of-five series with a 75-69 win Sunday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

The Lynx won their previous two titles on the road in Atlanta in 2011 and 2013. Now they’ll have a chance to win one on their home court. That’s going to be a great opportunity for us and our fans to really be who we’ve been all season. “That’s the beauty of it. Be ourselves at homes”.

Indiana was able to take advantage of foul trouble to Minnesota center Sylvia Fowles. She finished the game with five points and five rebounds, and was a complete non-factor. She picked up her fourth early in the third and that’s when the Fever went on their game-changing run.

The Fever shot 54.8 percent during the first three quarters (23-for-42) to lay the foundation for the victory that evened the series at 2-2. “You’d rather get beat by eight or 10 points, than it being decided by one shot”.

Minnesota got out to a quick 16-11 lead behind a balanced offense.