Shootaround Access | Lynx vs. Fever

Mitchell Hansen
Web Editorial Associate
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The Minnesota Lynx look to get back on track on Friday night when they host the Indiana Fever at Xcel Energy Center.

The Lynx come into the game with a WNBA-best record of 21-5, but have hit a little bit of a bump in the road recently, losing two straight.

“We don’t look back. We’ve only lost five games. At the end of the day, we know what we have to do,” Sylvia Fowles said after shootaround Friday morning. “Those games that we did lose, we know what we need to do to get over that hump. We’ve proven that we can go out there and do it, it’s just setting that tone for the whole 40 minutes.

“We’re human, it happens. I’d rather have it happen now rather then us get deep in the playoffs and have something happen.”

Another test will occur Friday night for Minnesota, when it takes on Indiana for the second time this year. The Fever beat the Lynx in their first matchup of the season back on Aug. 6 in Indiana.

“We just go back to being us. We go back to being us and playing aggressive. We kind of got away from that,” Plenette Pierson said. “Teams are fighting for (playoff) position right now and we have the top spot right now. We have to go out and play like we’re in the top spot.”

The Lynx have dealt with their fair share of injuries in the past few weeks as well. Lindsay Whalen is out with a left hand injury, while Rebekkah Brunson is questionable for Friday’s game with an ankle injury.

“I think we all have a different mindset, we are all going to come out and give a little bit more,” Pierson said. “We can’t replace Whalen, we can’t replace Brunson, we just have to do us and do it a little bit better.”

But, even with injuries they have been faced with, Minnesota is confident in their depth stepping up as long as needed.

“That’s why we have other players here,” Fowles said. “Temi (Fagbenle) is going to come in and give us some minutes, Natasha (Howard) has been playing well, Plenette is going to step up and give us those minutes. Those girls can do the same things (Brunson) does, just not the way (Brunson) does it.”

The Lynx and Fever square off at 7 p.m. Friday night in St. Paul. The game will be aired on Fox Sports North Plus, 106.1 BOB FM and TuneIn Radio.

“I think the first game (against Indiana) we overthought it and we didn’t play the way we are capable of playing,” Fowles said. “Being smart the second time around and knowing what they do well. Just make sure we take care of ourselves.”