Indiana Fever force decisive Game 5 with win over Lynx

The Indiana Fever are headed back to Minnesota with another win in sight, but it won’t be an easy road as the season ends with a title challenge.

It could have ended on Sunday, had Maya Moore not saved the Lynx with a game winning three-pointer at the end of Game 3 in Minnesota, but that’s not the hand the Fever were dealt. Instead, Moore drilled the shot and the Fever returned to Indianapolis looking to avoid elimination.

Mission accomplished.

Behind 15 points from Shenise Johnson and 14 from Marissa Coleman, the Fever held off the Lynx, 75-69, to secure a winner-take-all last game. Four Fever players were in double figures (Catchings, January, too), and the team continued it’s sharp shooting from the free throw line, sinking 25-29 on Sunday.

All things considered it was a fairly even game between two very talented teams. The rebounding battle was deadlocked at 24 a piece, both teams turned the ball over in the double digits, and neither team shot above 50% from the floor. The game was well and truly won at the free throw lines, though, as Indiana had 20 more attempts at the line than their opponents.

It’s a situation that Indiana is all too familiar with – facing an elimination game five. Per ESPN last night, the Fever have outscored opponents in elimination games by an average of nearly 10 points. In 2009, the Fever were in Phoenix facing a game a decisive game five and fell that night. Head coach Stephanie White wanted to make sure they didn’t falter before they had the opportunity once more.

One thing is certain – this has been an incredible series for these two teams, the fans, and the WNBA. The question that lingers is whether or not the Fever can get this championship, their second in three years and just their second all-time. If that happens, Tamika Catchings has to be in the running for the greatest WNBA player of all-time, and certainly the greatest player in a Fever shirt in the team’s almost 15 year history.

The final game is scheduled for Wednesday night at 8 pm ET in Minnesota.

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