Lynx claw and fight their way past Fever, tie series 1-1

Minneapolis, MN -- Fans knew they were in for a treat Tuesday night. After Game 1 of the WNBA Finals, it was clear that Target Center would be a hostile environment for Game 2. With several momentum shifts, it was anyone's game.

The Lynx were expected to come out and play with a chip on their shoulder, and the Fever was prepared for it.  Indiana started off on fire, and Briann January opened up the game with the bucket.

Marissa Coleman scored her 18th three-pointer during the postseason, keeping most of the momentum on their side during the first half of play. They went into the locker room leading the Lynx 41-39.

Minnesota was able to cut Indiana's lead throughout the second half, and momentum was theirs by the end of the third quarter. A steal, and bucket from Maya Moore had the crowd roaring.

She was taking over the game, and Minnesota was in the lead. One also can't forget about the birthday girl, Sylvia Fowles, who already had 21 points and 8 rebounds headed into the last period of play.

As expected, the final quarter was a war on the court. The Lynx were able to maintain the lead, but with the Fever within an inch of taking back over. It was still anyone's game down to the final minute if play, even with a five-minute stress with no field goal from Indiana.

"I'm not going to say it was their defense," explained Erlana Larkins. "I think we just weren't patient enough on offense. We sped up and didn't stay true to the things that helped us get the lead, which was moving the ball, setting screens, playing multiple actions and we took quick shots.

"We also had five turnovers in a row. We were playing too fast, and that's what happened down the stretch."

With Moore's 19 points, Fowles' 21 points, and free throws from Anna Cruz to seal the deal, Minnesota was able to take Game 2 at home.

"I appreciated our resilience," explained Lynx Head Coach Cheryl Reeve. "We can still can do better, no doubt, especially in crunch time."

"We want to do what we want to do. We try to make a great effort to be aggressive, and I definitely think we were able to do that for longer stretches tonight," said Moore.

Don't expect Indiana to go down quietly.

"The best fans in the WNBA will be in the house, and we will come out ready to play," Tamika Catchings assured.

The series is tied 1-1. Game 3 will be Friday in Indianapolis at 8 PM ET.