The Minnesota Lynx Muscled past an Underhanded Indiana Fever Squad of Good Gals.

I hated watching and covering this ugly game, if you can't tell.

Target Center - The home Minnesota Lynx muscled past the Indiana Fever 99-41 on Sunday night in Minneapolis, sweeping a two-game set and turning what began as a competitive matchup into a bruising, whistle-filled, face-smacking, and floor mopping grind. The first placed Lynx have won 30, lost 7 games this season. 19 and 18 on the season for the beat up Fever.

Napheesa Collier, the Lynx long-shot MVP candidate, returned from an ankle sprain and looked every bit an MVP candidate with 32 points on 11-of-16 shooting.

Kelsey Mitchell, the fastest player on the floor, 7 of 12 from the floor, poured in 26 for Indiana, but the Fever collapsed in the fourth quarter, managing just four points after hanging with Minnesota through three.

Courtney Williams, one of the ugly "girls" with uglier hot pink buzzed cut hair had record assists for the Lynx in a game, which was ugly to watch. She had a double double. As so much time was spent review replays that hurt the flow of the game. Newer players, Sims and Petty, played extented minutes for the Fever.

The difference in style was stark from Friday’s meeting in Indianapolis, when Minnesota’s Jessica Shepard recorded her first career triple-double. Sunday’s rematch felt more like survival than skill, with constant collisions, contested drives, and a steady stream of bodies hitting the floor, making it a grind to watch as well.

The officiating crew—Maj Forsberg, Tyler Mirkovich, and Ryan Sassano—called fouls late, but the contact often came first-made new foul calls after reviews and made it unfun to watch.

Fans and players alike were left frustrated as possessions bogged down into a grind of free throws, stoppages, and so much heavy physical play. When defenders are allowed to crowd into the space of ball-handlers and challenge high near the face and jaw, rhythm disappears quickly. For Indiana, it meant a stagnant attack and game unraveling.

The Fever were again without Caitlin Clark, who remains sidelined until at least September 2, shrinking their shot-creation options in moments when the whistles piled up and spacing evaporated. Collier and Courtney Williams, who finished with nine assists, ensured Minnesota dictated the half-court game. Clark has not played since July 15th.

The league has faced growing scrutiny this season over consistency in officiating and the sheer level of physicality being permitted. Players across teams have voiced concerns, and major outlets have noted that head and neck contact in particular is not being deterred with the urgency one might expect for a league trying to showcase its brightest stars. The WNBA points to referee evaluations and development programs, but nights like this suggest the gap between policy and practice remains wide.

Final score: Lynx 97, Fever 84. The result strengthens Minnesota’s title credentials, but the message beyond the scoreboard may matter more—physical play and inconsistent whistles continue to shadow the women's league at a time when its audience was growing fastest.