Indiana Fever fans had plenty to cheer about after their team stunned the Minnesota Lynx 74-59 to lift the 2025 Commissioner’s Cup, even though injured superstar Caitlin Clark could only watch from the sidelines.
Natasha Howard powered the upset with 16 points and 12 rebounds, earning MVP honors, while Aliyah Boston chipped in a near-triple-double of 12 points, 11 boards and six assists. Sophie Cunningham added 13, and backcourt mates Kelsey Mitchell and Aari McDonald dropped 12 apiece as Indiana clamped down defensively, holding Minnesota scoreless for more than eight minutes to flip an early deficit into a commanding halftime lead.
The victory was as loud as the post-game celebrations. Fever players danced across the floor and embraced Clark, whose energy on the bench matched the raucous Gainbridge Fieldhouse crowd. Though still recovering, the rookie phenom has remained the season’s central talking point—whether she plays or not.
True to form, Clark delivered a cutting message to her detractors in the middle of the festivities: “Everybody in the league is sick.” The one-liner doubled as both a warning and a promise—she intends to be back soon to prove why her presence has shifted the WNBA spotlight onto Indiana.
With the Cup secured and their injured star vowing a swift return, the Fever suddenly look less like plucky underdogs and more like the league’s emerging antagonists, determined to ride this momentum deep into the regular season. For Clark, the celebrations were a reminder that even from the bench she can dominate the conversation—and for the WNBA, the uproar shows just how big the stage has become.
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