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Indiana loses composure – and game – in third quarter
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Indiana loses composure – and game – in third quarter

INDIANAPOLIS — A lousy third quarter cost the Fever a 99-88 loss to the Minnesota Lynx on Friday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

The Fever are now 18-17, still No. 6 in the standings. Minnesota will move up to No. 2 in the standings at 25-9, just ahead of Connecticut’s 24-9

Here are some observations:

Fever score: Indiana Fever loses 99-88 to Minnesota Lynx. Caitlin Clark has 25 points and 5 3-pointers in loss.

Fever drops in third quarter, comeback attempted in fourth

The Fever were in good control going into halftime, leading the third-place Lynx 50-45 and having a chance to build on their momentum in the second half.

When the Fever lose their composure, it has a major impact on their shooting. The Lynx opened the half on a 7-0 run, during which Aliyah Boston was given a technical foul.

Fever rookie Caitlin Clark grew visibly frustrated with the officials, including on one occasion when she fell to the ground after a clean block by Napheesa Collier; she remained on the ground while the rest of her teammates moved back into transition defense, and then got up after Collier made a shot on the other end. After the Lynx were called for a defensive foul on the next possession, Clark clapped her hands at the official as she walked to gather herself.

That frustration showed in their shooting; the Fever connected on just 3 of 15 shots in the third quarter, lost the ball six times and were called for six fouls.

Minnesota scored 29 points in the quarter, taking advantage of the Fever’s frustration to make 11 of 17 shots with three 3-pointers, allowing Minnesota to turn a five-point deficit into a 12-point lead over the course of 10 minutes.

Although Fever came back in the fourth quarter and outscored the Lynx, it was never enough to regain the lead.

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Aliyah Boston Gets Second Tech in One Week

After going without a single technical foul during her entire rookie season, sophomore center Aliyah Boston has picked up two this past week.

The first came during halftime of the Fever’s win over Sky on Aug. 30, when she was given a technical foul for arguing with the referee as she walked to the locker room after the halftime whistle. The second came seven days later on Friday night against the Lynx — she clapped her hands and argued with a referee after they called a ball out of bounds on the Fever in the third quarter.

Both points ultimately did not have much impact on the game: last week Fever won by 20 points against Sky, and the Lynx missed their technical free throw.

Boston now has two technicals on the season. While it’s new territory for her to receive technicals, she’s still five technicals away from a suspension with just five games left in the regular season. Boston’s rookie teammate, Caitlin Clark, will have to be more careful; she has five technicals so far this season, two away from a one-game suspension.

How many points did Caitlin Clark score?

Caitlin Clark scored 25 points on 8 of 21 shooting, adding eight rebounds and eight assists.