Despite the absence of Caitlin Clark due to a groin injury, the Indiana Fever thrived to overpower the Minnesota Lynx 74-59 and claim the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup title.
Natasha Howard stepped up in a big way, notching a double-double with 16 points and 12 boards, along with four assists. Her performance, particularly on defense, set the tone for Indiana’s resilient comeback after falling behind by 13 points early in the game.
“We’re starting to trust in each other,” said head coach Stephanie White. “In those critical moments, it’s about believing someone else can rise to the challenge.”
Howard, a former Defensive Player of the Year, made life difficult for Minnesota’s Napheesa Collier, holding the All-Star forward to a tough 12 points on just 6-of-18 shooting. Collier also turned the ball over five times in a frustrating night for the Lynx.
“My mindset was to force her into tough shots — and that’s what I stuck with,” said Howard, who earned MVP honors for her efforts.
The Lynx, who had the WNBA’s best record coming in, had their worst offensive outing of the season, managing only 34.9% shooting from the field and hitting just four of their 16 attempts from beyond the arc.
“We lost our discipline offensively,” admitted Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve. “Our ball movement wasn’t where it needed to be, and it cost us.”
Indiana’s scoring attack was evenly distributed. Sophie Cunningham added 13 points, while Aliyah Boston, Aari McDonald, and Kelsey Mitchell each contributed 12.
“It was one of those games that tests everything—your mind, your body, your focus,” said Mitchell. “But we pulled through together.”
Alanna Smith led the Lynx with 15 points, and Courtney Williams chipped in 11, though she also committed six turnovers, the most on the team.
Minnesota came out strong, going on a 12-0 run in the first quarter and extending their lead to 27-14 in the second. But they collapsed down the stretch of the half, failing to score in the final eight-plus minutes as the Fever mounted an 18-0 run to take a five-point lead into the break.
Indiana seized full control in the third, with Howard scoring 10 points in the period. The Lynx never managed to cut the deficit to fewer than seven points from that point forward.
Minnesota briefly narrowed the gap to nine with just under six minutes left, but Cunningham’s third triple of the night dashed their hopes and ignited Indiana’s closing surge.
After capturing last year’s Commissioner’s Cup against New York, the Lynx had earned home-court advantage this time thanks to a league-leading 14-2 record. Tuesday’s loss was their first at home this season.
“We need to take this to heart,” said Smith. “We didn’t bring our best tonight, and we’ve got to reflect, fix the gaps, and not let this happen again.”
