Minnesota’s Lynx clinch the WNBA’s No. 1 seed despite a 96–77 loss to the Indiana Fever on Tuesday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Minnesota falls to 32–11 and trails by as much as 29 points, unable to overcome Indiana’s two-way play. Even a strong third quarter effort is not enough to close the gap.
Going into the regular-season finale, Minnesota’s path to the top seed is described as straightforward: the team can earn No. 1 with a win at home against Indiana on Thursday, a scenario outlined in a post on X by Alexa Philippou. However, after the loss, coverage notes that Minnesota still seals the No. 1 seed, including references to a “spoiler” effect from other results. News outlets frame the final outcome as secure regardless of the head-to-head result.
Overall, the outlets agree on the scoreline and the seeding result, while differing mainly in emphasis—some focus on the clinching outlook before Tuesday, and others focus on the fact that the Lynx secure the No. 1 seed after the defeat.
