The Indiana Fever have been excellent — no, perfect — in elimination games this postseason entering Sunday’s Game 4 battle against the Minnesota Lynx. 4-0.
Why stop now?
After losing Game 3 at home in heartbreaking fashion, a buzzer-beater by Maya Moore, the Fever regrouped just like they have in these playoffs. They would have obviously preferred not to be put in these win-or-season’s-over scenarios, but they like being the underdog. Thrive off of it, actually.
“Tamika Catchings has a heart of a champion. And Tamika Catchings refuses to lose,” said Fever head coach Stephanie White. “And this team has really taken on that identity, and this team, every single player on this team has improved dramatically as the season has went on.”
White called a timeout two minutes into the second half after the Lynx scored six quick points to regain the lead, 38-36.
“That’s a ‘You need to be in the huddle’ moment,” Tamika Catchings explained postgame. “Steph went off on us … and she just lit a fire up on us.”
That’s when the Fever took back control of the game. They ended the quarter on a 22-8 run and they never did relinquish that lead in a 75-69 victory. It’s a win for basketball fans, as this best-of-five WNBA Finals series will be stretched to a Game 5.
10,582 fans turned out for the Indiana Fever’s final home game of the season — a 75-69 win in Game 4.
And thus, the Fever improved to 5-0 in elimination games during this postseason run. They are also an astounding 11-2 all-time in elimination games at home.
Many teams would fold or succumb to the pressure in such a high-stakes game like this one. Shavonte Zellous, who has played for the Fever since 2010, isn’t sure where to attribute their success in these situations. It does take incredible mental toughness to withstand the pressure.
“I don’t really know what it is,” Zellous said, “but thank God we’re a team of resiliency and we know how to pull it together when it matters.”
Indiana made things difficult for the visitors in this one. Maya Moore was kept in check, managing 20 points. And, those 20 came on 8-of-20 shooting.
“We knew what we had to do,” Zellous added. “Once we stopped Maya, the catalyst on their team, the sky’s the limit for us. We get those defensive stops and we get in transition.”
Lynx center Sylvia Fowles was essentially rendered useless as she spent more time as a viewer than a participant, in foul trouble all game lone. She played just over four minutes in the first half and was whistled for her fifth foul with 6:59 remaining. Fowles finished with five points, five rebounds, and five fouls.
“Sylvia Fowles not being in the game really kind of opened up [everything] down low because she is their defensive stopper, getting up and being able to block shots,” Catchings said of their inside play.
On this night, the Fever were the aggressors — and they had to be with the Fowles limited. The Fever outscored the Lynx by 19 points at the foul line, where they attempted three times as many free throws.
The Fever scored 17 points in the final quarter: 15 free throws and just one field goal (1-of-7).
Over the four games, the Fever are 64-for-70 the line. In a series separated by just three points — Fever are +6, -6, -3, +6 — they’ve taken care of business at the foul line.
Indiana, who held the largest lead of the series, 14, had four players reach double figures, led by offseason season acquisition Shenise Johnson’s 15 points. Marissa Coleman added 14 and Tamika Catchings recorded 10 points and four rebounds in the win, which gives the franchise the most postseason victories (35) in WNBA history, passing the Los Angeles Sparks.
Game 5 in Minneapolis is on Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
“I expect Wednesday to be loud, hectic, a game of runs, people all of the floor diving. It’s our last life, it’s their last life,” said Erlana Larkins, who has quietly been an impactful player for Indiana. “We’re just going to go out there and give it all we have like we have this entire series.”
Notes:
- Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve tore off her suit jacket in disgust as there was a media timeout with 5:43 to play in the third quarter.
- Fans extend into the balconies, with 10,582 officially on hand for the Fever’s final home game of the season.
- Catchings has now started more postseason games (65) than another other player in league history. Taj McWilliams-Franklin is second.
- Fever guard Shenise Johnson has reached double figures in nine of ten postseason games.
- In the stands: Former Fever players Tully Bevilaqua, Tammy Sutton-Brown, and Niele Ivey, George Hill, Ian Mahinmi, Toney Douglas, and assistant coach Dan Burke of the Pacers, former Pacer Derrick McKey, Colts backup QB Matt Hasselbeck.
- Douglas’ son was the center of attention between the first and second quarters. He was out at mid-court, along with the Fever inferno dancers, doing the whip and nae nae.