WATCH: Fever players celebrate in locker room after Commissioner’s Cup win
Indiana Fever players spray and pour champagne on veteran point guard Sydney Colson after winning the Commissioner’s Cup on Tuesday night vs. the Lynx
- Five players score in double figures for the Indiana Fever, who are without an injured Caitlin Clark.
- The Fever will divide $500,000 for winning the Commissioner’s Cup.
The Indiana Fever rally from a big early deficit to earn a $500,000 prize by beating the WNBA-leading Minnesota Lynx 74-59 in the Commissioner’s Cup championship game.
Game MVP Natasha Howard has 16 points and 12 rebounds to lead Indiana. Aliyah Boston has 12 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists. Sophie Cunningham has 13 points, and Aari McDonald and Kelsey Mitchell 12 each.
Indiana trails by 13 points early in the second quarter, but surges to control the game in the fourth quarter. They shoot 42.1% from 3-point range and own a 10-rebound advantage.
Caitlin Clark sits out a third straight game with a groin injury.
Alanna Smith scores 15 points to lead Minnesota. Napheesa Collier and Kayla McBride combine for just 21. The Lynx score just 39 points over the final three quarters.
The Fever resume regular-season play by hosting Las Vegas on Thursday night.
Chloe Peterson is your best Fever follow and Brian Haenchen has tonight’s coverage. Sign up for our Caitlin Clark Fever newsletter.
4:11 left 4Q, Fever 63, Lynx 51: Sophie Cunningham hits a 3 with 4:11 left. Timeout, Lynx. Minnesota is in the bonus with 4:34 to go as the Fever pick up fouls away from the basket.
8:45 left 4Q, Fever 52, Lynx 45: The Fever commit a couple of fouls and miss close shots early in the quarter. They call a timeout.
Indiana has lost fourth-quarter leads in recent losses to Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Golden State.
Natasha Howard has 16 points and 11 rebounds to lead Indiana. Alanna Smith has 15 points and Napheesa Collier 8 for Minnesota.
1:56 left 3Q, Fever 50, Lynx 40: Indiana briefly runs its lead to 14 points. The Lynx, who shot 60% in the first quarter, are down to 35.7% for the game.
3:27 left 3Q, Fever 45, Lynx 34: Lexie Hull gets a 3, and Natasha Howard gets a steal and layup. Timeout, Minnesota.
4:58 left 3Q, Fever 40, Lynx 34: Natasha Howard and Kelsey Mitchell have 10 points each for Indiana, Alanna Smith 12 for Minnesota.
Minnesota is out-of-sorts offensively, with three early turnovers as Indiana extends its lead to 9 points. Aliyah Boston scores on the first possession of the quarter, but Napheesa Collier counters at the 9:20 mark, Minnesota’s first points in almost 9 minutes of game action.
The Fever hold Minnesota scoreless for the final 8:13 of the second quarter, spanning 16 possessions. Indiana scores the final 18 points of the second quarter.
Kelsey Mitchell has 8 points and Aari McDonald 7. Natasha Howard has 9 rebounds and Aliyah Boston 8, and they have a combined 8 assists.
Alanna Smith has 7 points for Minnesota, which is up to 9 turnovers and is -8 in rebounds.
Sophie Cunningham’s 3 gives the Fever at 28-27 lead, its first since the opening minutes.
3:09 left 2Q, Lynx 27, Fever 25: Aliyah Boston gets her first basket with 3:13 left. Indiana has scored 11 straight as Minnesota has gone 5+ minutes without scoring.
5:39 left 2Q, Lynx 27, Fever 19: Minnesota is getting easy looks and the Fever are having trouble finding an open shot, though they have scored the last 5 points. Indiana has 8 turnovers.
End 1Q, Lynx 20, Fever 12: Guards have scored all of Indiana’s points. The Fever are 27.8% from the field. Alanna Smith has 7 and Napheesa Collier 6 for the Lynx, who are 60% from the field.
2:50 left 1Q, Lynx 18, Fever 9: Minnesota’s run grows to 12-0. Timeout, Indiana.
4:49 left 1Q, Lynx 13, Fever 9: The Lynx have scored 7 straight points. Aari McDonald has 5 points for Indiana. Courtney Williams has 5 for Minnesota.
Fever: Aari McDonald, Kelsey Mitchell, Lexie Hull, Natasha Howard, Aliyah Boston
Lynx: Bridget Carleton, Napheesa Collier, Alanna Smith, Kayla McBride, Courtney Williams
Brian Haenchen, IndyStar: Lynx 87-79
“The big variable here is, obviously, the status of Caitlin Clark. The Fever improved to 3-4 sans Clark this season with last Friday’s win over the now-five-win Dallas Wings, but the first-place Lynx present an entirely different challenge. They’d lost only twice entering Sunday’s game vs. Connecticut and have a veteran roster led by WNBA All-Star team captain Napheesa Collier.
“The Fever should be well-rested and I think that will help them keep it close, regardless of Clark’s status. But that’s a really, really good Lynx team and they should be especially dialed in with the (checks notes) Commissioner’s Cup hanging in the balance.”
She is out for the third game with a groin injury. She previously missed five games with a quad injury.
8 p.m. ET Tuesday, July 1, 2025, at Target Center in Minneapolis.
Re-live Caitlin Clark’s spectacular rookie year with this book
Stream: Prime Video, with Michael Grady (play-by-play), LaChina Robinson (analysis) and Tabitha Turner (sideline reporting)
93.5 and 107.5 FM in Indianapolis, with John Nolan (play-by-play) and Bria Goss (analysis)
The WNBA’s in-season tournament. Each of the six Eastern Conference teams played one game against each other from early to mid June. Each of the seven Western Conference teams played one game against each other. The Indiana Fever had the best record in the East, while the Minnesota Lynx won the West.
The winning team divides $500,000. The game MVP gets $5,000. Players on the losing team get $10,000 each. Players will also receive cryptocurrency.
No. This is strictly for cash.
Fever: Caitlin Clark (groin) is questionable. Damiris Dantas is not with the team (international obligation)
Lynx: Karlie Samuelson is out.
In nine games this season, Caitlin Clark averages 18.2 points, 8.9 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 1.6 steals, making 29.5% of her 3-pointers.
via BetMGM
Favorite: Lynx by 5.5 points
Over/under: 167.5 total points
Moneyline: Fever +180, Lynx -220
ESPN’s matchup predictor gives the Lynx a 72.7% chance of winning.
Fever-Lynx start at $68 on StubHub
(Season averages)
- Napheesa Collier (24.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.8 steals, 1.5 blocked shots, 40.9% 3-pointers)
- Kayla McBride (15.5 points, 1.4 steals, 39.2% 3-pointers)
- Courtney Williams (13.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.5 steals, 38.9% 3-pointers)
- Alanna Smith (10.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.5 blocked shots, 37.0% 3-pointers)
- Bridget Carleton (6.7 points, 35.6% 3-pointers)