Minneapolis, MN -- Energy is still high inside Target Center for both the Minnesota Lynx and the Indiana Fever, as they prepare for game 2 of the WNBA Finals. Though the Lynx did not practice, they were still clear on what they need to do going into Tuesday night's game when talking to the media.
"They came in here ready to steal the game, and they will be just as ready for game 2," explained Lynx Head Coach Cheryl Reeve. "We've only played 40 minutes of a 200-minute series. We still have 160 minutes, and that's a lot of minutes left. There are little things that we need to tighten up on, and we know what we have to do."
On paper, it did seem as if the Lynx had the better game. Indiana shot 36 percent, and Minnesota shot 42 percent. Minnesota shot 23 free throws, and Indiana shot 16. In the words of Coach Reeve, "How do you lose that game?"
"We didn't do little things at key times, and they did," explained Coach Reeve. "This is Indiana, and this is what they do."
Indiana did practice today, and even though they took game 1, they didn't celebrate too long. The players came into practice today ready to work.
"We know they are going to come in here tomorrow with a chip on their shoulder," said Fever Head Coach Stephanie White. We've been playing with our backs against the wall, and it's not new to us. Game 1 means nothing. I told our players to enjoy it until midnight, but after midnight it didn't mean anything. They are going to come out on their court ready."
"We don't feel pressure anymore at this point," adds Tamika Catchings. "We've dealt with adversity this entire season. We just go out and have fun. We know what we can do and what we are capable of when everyone brings their piece to the puzzle and we put it together. It's really about thinking of new things [to bring] to the table each game to get the win."
Coach White also explained that they haven't been putting an emphasis on numbers this season.
"We haven't been overanalyzing the numbers," she explained. "It comes down to the details, and the hustle plays that keep Minnesota from having momentum. The things that don't show up on the stat sheet are even more critical this time of year."
The environment will definitely be hostile come Tuesday night at 8 PM ET.