Lynx clinch WNBA No 1 seed despite blowout loss to Fever

The result cost Minnesota nothing in the standings. Portland Fire's win over Golden State Valkyries Women later in the evening confirmed the Lynx as the WNBA's No 1 seed heading into a play-off run that starts on Sunday,

Olivia Miles did not play. Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said she had come close to resting Miles for that game too, and that the club would assess the calf day by day as the post-season nears.

Her absence showed. Indiana closed the first quarter on a 14-2 run to lead 31-16, then pulled clear to 38-18 early in the second and led by as much as 57-28 before half-time. Reeve emptied her bench for the second half.

Napheesa Collier did not spare her side afterwards. "It's embarrassing," she told ESPN. "We should be disappointed and embarrassed about the product that we put on the floor tonight. Not proud of what we did."

Indiana had already secured a play-off place, and the win kept alive, for at least one more day, the Fever's faint chance of the No 4 seed and home-court advantage in the first round. Clark was in no mood to play that down. "We're scary when we're clicking," she said. "Like, we're the best offensive team in the league, and we've shown moments where we can be really good defensively. I feel very confident in everything and everybody that we have in this locker room."

Minnesota go into the play-offs top seeded but with a genuine question over Miles' calf. If it keeps her out, or limits her, a Lynx side already stung by Tuesday's margin will be leaning more heavily on Collier and the rest of the group that Reeve turned to once the starters sat down.