INDIANAPOLIS - Injuries to Candice Wiggins and Charde Houston left the Minnesota Lynx subdued after a stirring 84-80 overtime victory over the Indiana Fever.
Wiggins, the third overall selection in April's WNBA draft, left the game Thursday night with 3:19 to go in the first quarter due to a lower back injury and didn't return. She was taken to a hospital for examination, but the extent of her injury was not immediately known.
The Minnesota rookie, who was averaging 17.1 points per game, hit the floor hard after being called for an offensive foul. She remained on the court for several minutes before being taken to the locker room in a wheelchair.
"I know Candice was very concerned," Lynx coach Don Zierden said. "That's why I stayed out there so long, to try to comfort her."
Houston, who had 11 points, five rebounds and three steals, sprained her left knee with 51 seconds to go in overtime and was also taken off the court in a wheelchair. She will undergo further tests in Minnesota on Friday.
"Anytime you lose a teammate, especially players like Wiggins and Charde, it's going to be tough," Lynx guard Seimone Augustus said. "I pray to God that it's not really serious and they'll be back."
Zierden said it's too early to know when Wiggins and Houston would be able to return. Minnesota will host San Antonio on Friday and Los Angeles on Sunday before the Olympics break.
Augustus had 25 points, Lindsey Harding scored 12 and Nicky Anosike added 11 points and 10 rebounds for the Lynx (12-12), who snapped a three-game losing streak against the Fever and improved to 2-6 in Indianapolis.
"With our history of not being able to win here, and with us having such a young team, it's huge," Zierden said. "We still make a lot of young mistakes, but we're a very resilient team."
Tamika Catchings had 17 points, nine assists and six rebounds, and Ebony Hoffman had 17 points and seven rebounds for Indiana (11-13), which lost for the fourth time in five games.
"At crunch time, we just didn't have the killer instinct," Fever coach Lin Dunn said. "We are not doing the little things to finish games."
The Lynx, who trailed 55-53 entering the fourth quarter, took a 59-58 lead on Vanessa Hayden-Johnson's two free throws with 7:47 left. The Fever responded with an 8-0 run, which included two 3-pointers from Catchings, to regain the momentum.
After Minnesota tied it at 73 with a minute remaining, Tan White's layup gave Indiana a two-point lead. Augustus' free throws made it 75-all with 38 seconds left, and White missed a runner with time winding down to send the game to overtime.
In the extra period, the Lynx took an 81-80 lead on Augustus' jumper with 37 seconds left, and she extended the advantage to three with two free throws. Hoffman's 3-point attempt with 10 seconds remaining came up short.
"I think we're tougher than we know," Augustus said. "Coach talks about it every day, but the mental mind-set is not always there. I hope everybody understands that we are capable of winning games in tough situations."
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