Behind a dominant second quarter during which the Indiana Fever scored 18 unanswered factors, the Fever rallied after which held off the Minnesota Lynx to win the 2025 Commissioner’s Cup final 74-59 in Minneapolis on Tuesday.
They usually did it with out level guard and WNBA All-Star captain Caitlin Clark, who missed her third consecutive sport resulting from a groin damage.
Natasha Howard had a team-high 16 factors and 12 rebounds for the Fever and was named Cup MVP. Indiana trailed 20-12 on the finish of the primary quarter however outscored Minnesota 20-7 within the second interval, holding Minnesota with no level for the ultimate 8 minutes, 13 seconds of the primary half.
Final 12 months, Minnesota received the Cup last on the street at New York. The away crew has received the previous 4 Commissioner’s Cup titles.
This is how the Fever received the Commissioner’s Cup title.
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Are Fever WNBA title contenders after profitable Commissioner’s Cup?
LaChina Robinson breaks down the Indiana Fever profitable the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup and what it means for the rest of the season.
Closing: Indiana Fever 74, New York Liberty 59
What does this victory imply for Indiana? The Fever wanted this. With Caitlin Clark on the bench (groin) and DeWanna Bonner having left the team last week, Indiana has been via some adversity. But the Fever got here onto the house courtroom of the first-place crew within the WNBA and shut down the Lynx.
Tuesday’s defensive effort was the most effective the Fever have been on that finish of the courtroom all season, led by Natasha Howard. The 2019 Defensive Participant of the 12 months when she was in Seattle, Howard was one of many major causes Minnesota’s Napheesa Collier had a troublesome night time. Collier completed 6-of-18 from the sector for 12 factors.
“She’s a fantastic participant,” Howard mentioned. “However my factor was simply restrict her to onerous photographs, and that is what I did tonight. Made it uncomfortable for her. I could not do it my myself. I had my teammates behind me serving to me out.”
Howard additionally acquired her offense going after a sluggish begin, ending with a team-high 16 factors to associate with 12 rebounds and 4 assists.
“Tash is a professional that flies below the radar on this league,” teammate Kelsey Mitchell mentioned. “She’s received on each stage, and I believe now we have to present her her flowers a bit of bit extra.”
The Fever guards did their job, too. They held down the scoring within the first quarter, when put up gamers Howard and Aliyah Boston (12 factors, 11 rebounds, 6 assists) had been struggling to determine themselves. Sophie Cunningham completed with 13 factors and fellow guards Mitchell and Aari McDonald had 12 factors every.
Clearly, the Fever are desperate to get Clark — who has now missed eight video games with accidents — again within the lineup. However Tuesday’s sport was an instance of how effectively Indiana can play even when she is sidelined.
“Studying to play with out her, studying to make huge performs in robust moments on each ends of the ground, is necessary,” Fever coach Stephanie White mentioned. “That is going to pay dividends down the stretch of the season for us. Caitlin is any person who has oftentimes made performs for them, and so they’re studying how to try this for each other.”
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Caitlin Clark fired up after Sophie Cunningham’s trey
Caitlin Clark is pumped up after Sophie Cunningham knocks down a 3-pointer.
What does this consequence imply to Minnesota? Collier, the WNBA’s main scorer, at 24.4 PPG getting into the sport, had simply 12 on Tuesday. She has scored in double figures each sport this season besides one, when she had seven factors in opposition to Las Vegas on June 17 however needed to go away within the third quarter due to again points.
Tuesday’s stats do not rely towards gamers’ regular-season averages, however it was a stat line we’re not used to from Collier. She did not communicate to media after the sport.
The Lynx didn’t rating for the final 8:13 of the second quarter. The final time the Lynx went eight consecutive minutes with out scoring was Aug. 4, 2011, in opposition to San Antonio, the franchise that’s now the Las Vegas Aces. That was the season the Lynx received their first of 4 WNBA titles.
“We tend generally to get impatient,” Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve mentioned of Minnesota’s offensive struggles. “Our dedication to transferring the basketball and creating benefits … we had a tough time getting that accomplished.
“We did not have our regular type of fortitude, combat and response to physicality. They beat us, give them credit score.”
This loss does not harm the Lynx within the standings. They’re a league-best 14-2 and end this week with three extra video games at house.
“It is good to have a look at it as a studying alternative,” mentioned ahead Alanna Smith, who led the Lynx with 15 factors. “We at all times wish to play our greatest basketball. So now we have to take this sport to coronary heart and be taught from the errors we made, the best way we confirmed up, the best way we ready, and ensure we do not do it once more.”
What does it imply for the WNBA? This was the fifth Commissioner’s Cup last, and the fifth champion. The Fever observe the Seattle Storm, the Las Vegas Aces, New York Liberty and Minnesota in profitable the in-season competitors.
The occasion has turn into one thing the gamers sit up for, particularly due to the extra prize money. However it additionally offers a further showcase for the league earlier than the playoffs.
Did the Fever ship a message by profitable this sport with Caitlin Clark sidelined? Did the Lynx — who’ve been the WNBA’s most constant crew this season — present some vulnerability? A minimum of for Tuesday, the reply to each questions is sure.
It is only one sport on July 1 in an extended season, in order that must be thought-about. However with the remainder of the league watching Tuesday, the Fever — who had been 10.5-point underdogs coming in — gave themselves a wanted confidence increase.
That is likely to be the largest takeaway of this Cup last. As a franchise, the Fever’s final title was its lone WNBA championship in 2012. Now Indiana has one other trophy. — Michael Voepel