Scouting Report | Lynx vs. Fever

Lynx vs. Fever, 12:00 p.m.
Target Center
Fox Sports North, BOB 106.1

Bring on camp day 2018! There will be an unusually high number of young people in attendance at the Lynx game on Wednesday afternoon against the Indiana Fever. A noon game on a weekday means this is the perfect day for children’s summer camps to catch the Lynx.

The Lynx are expecting a lot of higher-pitched cheers, so Maya Moore said they’ve been stressing eye contact in practice as they prepare for an event where they might not always be able to hear each other.

However, one thing is for sure—the kids will bring energy. That might be just what Minnesota needs to get them back in the win column after a disappointing and inconsistent few weeks.

It’s been a combination of fatigue and a lack of execution that’s done the Lynx in lately. Against the Connecticut Sun the effort was there but there were too many blown assignments. In earlier games like the loss in Chicago last Saturday, Minnesota just hasn’t had their legs under them.

The Lynx are very frustrated. They aren’t used to being blown out at home and they were not happy with themselves after their loss to the Sun. But they are also, for the first time in a long time, having to learn how to walk the line between holding themselves accountable and dwelling on the past.

“We’ve gotten blown out before, but we’ve never gotten blown out at home,” said coach Cheryl Reeve at Tuesday’s practice. “It’s a fine line, and in order to bounce back you have to have the right perspective about it. It’s unacceptable, but tomorrow is the next day. You’ve got to execute, you’ve got to bring the effort, and try again.”

The Fever run an aggressive system, and they’ll try to get the Lynx to speed up and match their pace. Minnesota needs to be able to run with them when necessary, but stay committed to playing their game. Transition defense was a problem against the Sun, and that will need to be tightened up against the Fever in two ways—tracking down coverages on the break, and hitting shots in order to prevent transition opportunities in the first place.

If you can’t attend the game in person tomorrow, you can catch it on NBATV and Fox Sports North. A win could bump the Lynx up to fifth in the standings, a loss helps the Aces climb closer to knocking them out of the postseason. Every game is critical, and against an opponent with a far inferior record, the Lynx can’t afford to let this one slip away.

Starting Lineups:

Lynx: PG—Whalen, SG—Augustus, SF—Moore, PF—Brunson, C—Fowles

Fever: PG—Wheeler, SG—T. Mitchell, SF—Vivians, PF—Dupree, C—Achonwa

Injuries:

Lynx: Rebekkah Brunson (thigh) and Danielle Robinson (ankle) are probable.

Fever: Shenise Johnson (knee) is day-to-day.