No Caitlin Clark, no problem.
The Indiana Fever defeated the Minnesota Lynx 74-59 in the 2025 WNBA Commissioner’s Cup final to claim the Fever’s first in-season tournament championship. The Fever, who were without Clark (groin) for the third consecutive game, held the Lynx to season-lows in points (55) and field-goal percentage (35.7%).
Natasha Howard was named the unanimous Commissioner’s Cup MVP after recording 16 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, two steals and one block.
“It feels great. We knew we had to come out here with energy,” said Fever center Aliyah Boston, who finished with a 12-point, 11-rebound double-double despite starting 0-of-6 from the field.
The Lynx jumped out to a 13-point lead over the Fever in the second quarter, but the Fever responded with an 18-0 run of their own to take the lead and hold it until the end. With the victory, the Fever will split a prize of $500,000 and continue the Commissioner’s Cup streak of home teams going down in the final. The visiting team has won each time, aside from the inaugural Commissioner’s Cup final that was played at a neutral site in 2021.
USA TODAY Sports had coverage of the 2025 WNBA Commissioner’s Cup final. Scroll below for a recap and highlights:
Fever vs. Lynx highlights
Caitlin Clark crashes interview, reacts to win
Clark may have not been on the court, but she was cheering on her teammates from the sidelines. Following the Fever’s Commissioner’s Cup win, Clark tweeted, ‘My girls did their thing !!!!!! So proud!!’
While Boston was giving a postgame interview, Clark burst onto the screen with a triumphant scream and chest bump in celebration.
Fever drink from Commissioner’s Cup, celebrate
End of Q3: Fever 52, Lynx 42
The Fever have a 10-point lead heading into the fourth quarter. Natasha Howard leads the way with a game-high 16 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and two steals. Kelsey Mitchell and Aari Mcdonald both reached double digits with 10 points each. Aliyah Boston’s struggles have continued as she’s been held to four points, shooting 2-of-10 from the field.
Alanna Smith leads the Lynx with 15 points, while Napheesa Collier has eight points and four rebounds.
Halftime: Fever 32, Lynx 27
Now it’s the Fever’s turn to go on a run. Indiana trailed the Lynx by as many as 13 points in the second quarter, but the Fever went on an 18-0 run to take their first lead since earlier in the first quarter. The Fever’s Kelsey Mitchell has a game-high eight points. Aliyah Boston is on the board with two points after starting the night 0-for-6 from the field.
The Lynx were outscored 20-7 in the second quarter and were held scoreless for over eight minutes in the period. The Lynx are up to nine total turnovers that the Fever has cashed in for 11 points.
Alanna Smith has a game-high seven points, while Napheesa Collier is up to six points (3-of-9 FG, 0-of-1 3PT). Smith and Collier failed to score in the second quarter.
End of Q1: Lynx 20, Fever 12
The Lynx jumped out to an eight-point lead over the Fever in the first quarter of the 2025 Commissioner’s Cup final. The Fever’s turnovers spurred the Lynx’s offense. Minnesota went on a 12-0 run that was fueled by three consecutive Fever turnovers. Indiana gave up seven points off five total first-quarter turnovers.
The Fever leads the league in points in the paint with 40.4 per game, but Minnesota has done a good job taking away the Fever’s inside looks so far and has forced Indiana into some tough shots. The Fever collectively shot 27.8% from the field, while the Lynx shot 60% in the first quarter.
Aari Mcdonald leads the Fever with five points. Aliyah Boston was held scoreless, shooting 0-for-4 from the field.
Alanna Smith has a game-high seven points, while Napheesa Collier is up to six points.
How to watch 2025 WNBA Commissioner’s Cup final
The fifth-annual WNBA Commissioner’s Cup final will be decided on Tuesday. A $500,000 prize pool is up for grabs.
Date: Tuesday, July 1
Time: 8 p.m. ET (7 p.m. CT)
Location: Target Center (Minneapolis)
TV: None
Steaming: Prime Video
The game will be available to view on demand on WNBA League Pass after it concludes.
Will Caitlin Clark play in Commissioner’s Cup final?
No, Clark will not play against the Minnesota Lynx in the Commissioner’s Cup final, the Fever announced hours before the game. Clark had been considered day-to-day after alerting the Fever coaching staff of a groin injury on June 25th following the Fever’s 94-86 win over the Seattle Storm on June 24. She missed the Fever’s loss vs. Los Angeles on June 26 and Indiana’s win at Dallas on June 27 with the injury.
Indiana Fever starting lineup
The Fever is sticking with the same starting lineup that took the court in Indiana’s 94-86 win over the Dallas Wings on Friday. Aari McDonald will make her second start of the season after resigning with the Fever in June.
Minnesota Lynx starting lineup
The Lynx’s starting five includes Napheesa Collier, Bridget Carleton, Alana Smith, Kayla McBride and Courtney Williams. This unit has started nine previous games together and have gone 8-1.
WNBA Commissioner’s Cup champions, by year
Here’s every team that has won the WNBA’s in-season tournament since it began in 2021:
2024: Minnesota Lynx def. New York Liberty
2023: New York Liberty def. Las Vegas Aces
2022: Las Vegas Aces def. Chicago Sky
2021: Seattle Storm def. Connecticut Sun
Caitlin Clark, Napheesa Collier named WNBA All-Star captains
Clark and Collier will go head to head in the 2025 WNBA Commissioner’s Cup final on Tuesday and the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game will mark Round 2.
On Sunday, June 29, the WNBA announced that Clark and Collier will serve as captains of this year’s All-Star Game after picking up their second and fifth career All-Star nods, respectively. Clark, the reigning Rookie of the Year, and Collier, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, earned the honor by receiving the most fan votes.
The All-Star Game starters were revealed on June 30.
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