TECHNICAL Aliyah Boston barks at ref after no foul | Indiana Fever vs Minnesota Lynx WNBA basketball.

.

.

Fever lose their composure — and the game — in third quarter, falling to Lynx 99-88

INDIANAPOLIS — A lousy third quarter led the Fever to drop a game against the Minnesota Lynx, 99-88, on Friday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

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

Here are some observations:

Fever crumble in third quarter, attempt comeback in fourth

Going into halftime, the Fever had a good grip on the game. They led the third-place Lynx, 50-45, and had a chance to build on their momentum going into the second half.

When the Fever start losing their composure, it heavily affects their shooting. The Lynx started the half on a 7-0 run, and in that time, Aliyah Boston picked up a technical foul.

Fever rookie Caitlin Clark became visibly frustrated with the referees, including in one instance where she fell to the ground after a clean block from Napheesa Collier; she laid on the ground as the rest of her teammates went back on transition defense, getting 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 toward the referee while walking to huddle up.

That frustration translated into their shooting; the Fever shot just 3-of-15 from the floor in the third quarter, turned the ball over six times, and were called for six fouls.

Minnesota scored 29 points in the quarter, taking advantage of the Fever’s exasperation to shoot 11-of-17 from the field with three 3-pointers. That allowed Minnesota to turn a five-point deficit into a 12-point advantage in the course of 10 minutes.

While the Fever rebounded in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Lynx, it wasn’t enough to regain a lead at any point.

Aliyah Boston picks up second tech in one week

After going her entire rookie season without a technical foul, second-year center Aliyah Boston has now picked up two within the last week.

The first came at halftime of the Fever’s win over the Sky on Aug. 30; she picked up a technical for arguing with the ref while walking to the locker room after the halftime buzzer sounded. The second came seven days later on Friday night against the Lynx — she clapped her hands and argued with a ref after they called a ball out of bounds on the Fever in the third quarter.

Neither ended up affecting the game much — the Fever won by 20 against the Sky last week, and the Lynx missed their technical free throw.

Boston is up to two techs on the season now. While it’s a new territory for her to get technical fouls, she’s still five technical calls away from a suspension with just five games left in the regular season. Boston’s rookie teammate, Caitlin Clark, needs to be more careful; she has five technicals this sea son so far, 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 on eight rebounds and eight assists.

Chicago Sky’s Scandal: Teammates FURIOUS As Angel Reese’s Stat Padding Costs Their Team at the Buzzer!

Drama unfolds as Angel Reese’s controversial stat-padding decision leaves her teammates furious after a crucial buzzer-beater loss. Discover how this shocking move impacted the game and the team’s dynamic.

Watch now to see the heated reactions and find out if this moment cost them the win!

Angel Reese Ignites Fury Again After Responding to Stat-Padding Accusations Despite Breaking WNBA Record

Another day. Another game. Same story. The ghost of stat-padding continues to haunt the seventh overall pick, Angel Reese. Despite denying the claims multiple times about the same and even getting support from the WNBA legends like Rebecca Lobo, the Chicago Sky rookie cannot prove her innocence to the basketball fans.

Even collecting most rebounds in the league’s history for single season and leaving Sylvia Fowles behind doesn’t seem to work. Trying to salvage the situation once again, the big cleared her stance. Only to find the loyalists get back at her yet another time.

In her postgame presser, Angel Reese explained her focus on rebounds. “Coming into it, I just knew my motor. Offensive rebounds and defensive rebounds is something that I know I can always do. I knew that was gonna translate right away. That’s something that a lot of players don’t wanna do. A lot of people think it is because I get my own rebounds, statistically, it’s not. A lot of people think it is because I’m the tallest on the court, I’m not the tallest on the court.”

The LSU alum has been under a lot of scrutiny recently. According to many fans, she adds to her points and rebounds by grabbing her own boards. Not to mention, her subpar efficiency from just 5 feet away from the rim has also been a concern for many Chicago fanatics. However, the Sky head coach Teresa Weatherspoon has previously mentioned how her relentlessness to fight for the ball and hunger to get it at any cost is what keeps her dominant in the paint. She had also talked about Reese’s knack for collecting a board.

Resonating with the coach, Angel Reese added, “Just being able to go down there and being able to bang, doing a lot of things that a lot of people don’t wanna do. Defense and rebounding win championships and I want championships at every level by just doing that. Coming into the league, before I sharpen up on my offensive thing, just being able to come in and have that on my shoulder is something that I can always do. It’s something that I knew would translate.”