Tamika Catchings, Fever beat Lynx, win first WNBA title

• The Indiana Fever beat the Minnesota Lynx 87-78 to win their first WNBA championship
• The Fever put four players in double figures and shot 29-for-31 from the free throw line
• Tamika Catchings had 25 points, eight assists and four rebounds en route to winning Finals MVP

INDIANAPOLIS — Here's a formula for a championship:

Twice start off 0-1 in best-of-three series. Lose your hottest scorer. Go on the road for 12 days. Play the defending champion that features three Olympic gold medalists.

The Indiana Fever did it, and they were able to win it. Tamika Catchings added the only missing element from a distinguished basketball résumé: WNBA champion.

Catchings had 25 points and eight assists Sunday night in becoming MVP of the WNBA Finals. The Fever completed an improbable run through the playoffs for their first championship, beating the Minnesota Lynx 87-78 to win the best-of-five series 3-1 before a crowd of 15,213 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

"When you come into this league, your goal and dream is to win a WNBA championship," Catchings said. "Twelve years later … it's so sweet right now."

The Fever became the city's first pro basketball champions since the Indiana Pacers won the last of their three ABA titles in 1973. Herb Simon, owner of the Fever and Pacers, said he dedicated the championship to his late brother, Mel, who would have been 86 Sunday.

Catchings, 33, is in her 11th year in the league. In a span of 13 months, she has been league MVP, Olympic gold medalist, Finals MVP and WNBA champion.

"It's been an amazing journey, the ups and downs," Catchings said.

Members of the Colts and Pacers were on hand to support the Fever, and congratulations for Catchings came from everywhere. There was this tweet from someone who knows what it's like to wait for a championship:

"Bout Damn Time!!" LeBron James tweeted.

Lynx guard Lindsay Whalen, an Olympic teammate of Catchings, added:

"Of course, it's hard for us, But Tamika is one of the best people you could know."

The Fever also delivered for injured Katie Douglas, who earned a ring in her beloved hometown. She took the floor for the game's closing 3 seconds.

The Fever won four road playoff road games in their first 12 seasons, then won three in 12 days in these playoffs. The fact Douglas has been sidelined since Oct. 11 underscored the collective nature of this underdog victory:

• Erin Phillips, snubbed by the Australian Olympic team, scored 18 points. Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve and forward Maya Moore said they had never seen Phillips better.
• Erlana Larkins, an undersized 6-1 center who was out of the league for two years, produced 13 rebounds in Game 4 and 49 in the series.
• Shavonte Zellous, virtually given away by the Tulsa Shock, added 15 points and celebrated afterward by jumping up and down on the press row.
• Point guard Briann January, rehabbing a knee injury a year ago, scored seven of her 15 in the closing 78 seconds — including a 3-pointer that expanded the Fever's lead to 80-72 and secured the outcome.

January, a member of the league's all-defensive team, was assigned to Seimone Augustus, an All-WNBA guard and gold medalist. Augustus, who scored 27 points in Minnesota's Game 2 victory, endured a 3-of-21 night and scored eight points.

"The fact a lot of people didn't give us a chance, yeah, it does make a lot more sweet," January said.

The Lynx, bidding to become the league's first repeat champions since the Los Angeles Sparks in 2001-02, were 11-2 in the playoffs over two seasons. Then they ran into the Fever and went 1-3.

"I don't think there's any doubt that they have more talent and are deeper," Fever coach Lin Dunn said of the Lynx. "But they could put only five people on the floor at a time."

Dunn said the Fever learned from their failure in 2009, when they took a 2-1 lead in the WNBA Finals against the Phoenix Mercury and then lost the series.

Tammy Sutton-Brown was a starter in 2009, a bench player in 2012, and now a champion forever.

"It's like the best feeling in the world right now," said Sutton-Brown, 34. "Twelve years in, there's nothing like it."

The Fever became the fifth different franchise to win a WNBA title in as many years. They are now the only current Eastern Conference team to win it all.

The Fever built their biggest lead, 56-46, midway through the third quarter. However, they went cold during a 10-0 run by the Lynx that evened it at 56.

That's when Catchings went to work. She made a long 3-pointer, then stole a pass from Whalen. The Fever scored on Jessica Davenport's bank shot off a January assist, and they went ahead 61-56.

There were some nervous moments to come, but the Lynx were never closer than three after that.

David Woods also writes for The Indianapolis Star