Whalen expected Indiana to be challenging foe

"The fans were really excited [Monday]," Lynx guard Lindsay Whalen said after the Lynx beat Indiana 86-79 at Target Center. "At times we struggled, but we knew it was going to be a struggle with Indiana. We played the team twice in four days, it's going to be tough."

The visiting Lynx beat the Fever 66-64 Friday on Whalen's last-second basket.

The second game was not as close. "Luckily we made shots and made some defensive stops when we needed to," Whalen said. "Maya was huge and she seemed to really pull through in the third [quarter]."

Maya Moore led the Lynx with 29 points -- 15 in the third quarter -- but Whalen had one of her strongest games, too. She made six of 12 shots from the field and had 13 points. She also led the Lynx in rebounds with eight and assists with six.

Whalen has 66 assists and 20 turnovers in the 12 games since the Olympic break. In those games, the Lynx are 11-1.

"We always have to work for it and earn the victory," Whalen said. "I thought we did that from the middle of the second quarter on tonight.

"[The Fever] are a great team and they never quit. They came in here really aggressive at the start and it took us a little while to get our feet under us. But once we did, that was pretty good."

* On rookie post Devereaux Peters, who had 10 points and seven rebounds in 29 minutes and 15 seconds: "She is really a hard worker. She is aggressive and she is looking for her shot a little more when she gets the ball. She is rolling hard. Our job as guards is to try to find her and we had a nice give-and-go at the end. That was a big play for us.

"She moves without the ball. She is a smart player. She is long and she has really been playing really well lately."