Summary:
- The Indiana Fever beat the Minnesota Lynx 74-59 in the Commissioner’s Cup final on Tuesday.
- The Fever won without injured star Caitlin Clark and after losing DeWanna Bonner.
- Minnesota’s top scorer, Napheesa Collier, was held to 12 points by Natasha Howard.
The Indiana Fever pulled off an impressive 74-59 win over the Minnesota Lynx to claim the 2025 Commissioner’s Cup in Minneapolis.
The balance tilted in Indiana’s favor during the second quarter, when they unleashed an 18-0 run that put the Lynx on their heels and set the tone for the rest of the night.
What was even more impressive than the actual win was the fact that it came at a time when star point guard Caitlin Clark was missing.
The WNBA All-Star and team captain has been sidelined for three straight games with a groin injury.
Plus, the Fever were also dealing with the recent departure of six-time WNBA All-Star DeWanna Bonner, but they didn’t let that slow them down. On the contrary, they pulled themselves up and took down the league’s best team on their home court.
Natasha Howard really stood out, putting up 16 points and grabbing 12 rebounds to take home MVP honors.
Natasha Howard’s takeaway for two to force a timeout is our Rush Bowls Play of the Game 💥 pic.twitter.com/CSni2o8sG0
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) July 2, 2025
While the Fever didn’t start off strong, finding themselves down 20-12 after the first quarter, they came back firing in the second, outscoring Minnesota 20-7 and holding the Lynx scoreless for the last eight minutes before halftime.
Howard’s defense also largely contributed to the win, especially in limiting Minnesota’s leading scorer, Napheesa Collier. The latter struggled to find her rhythm and finished the night with just 12 points on 6-of-18 shooting.
“She’s a great player“, Howard said about Collier, further explaining her main focus was to “just limit her to hard shots”.
Made it uncomfortable for her. I couldn’t do it myself. I had my teammates behind me helping me out.
After a slow start, Howard also added four assists and helped get the offense going. Her teammate Kelsey Mitchell had plenty of praise for her:
Tash is a pro that flies under the radar in this league. She’s won on every level, and I think we have to give her her flowers a little bit more.
Other Fever players contributed as well. Aliyah Boston managed to rack up 12 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists.
Guards Sophie Cunningham, Aari McDonald and Mitchell also showed great skill and scored in double digits.
Coach Stephanie White talked about how the team has had to adjust without Clark.
Learning to play without her, learning to make big plays in tough moments on both ends of the floor, is important. That’s going to pay dividends down the stretch of the season for us.
Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve admitted,
We didn’t have our usual sort of fortitude, fight, and response to physicality. They beat us, give them credit
Despite the loss, Minnesota remains the league’s top team at 14-2 and will look to bounce back quickly. As Lynx forward Alanna Smith said
It’s good to look at it as a learning opportunity… make sure we don’t do it again.
For Indiana, which hasn’t won a major title since 2012, this trophy feels like much more than just another win. Can Indiana Fever pick up more titles later in the year? Get the best odds for the 2025 WNBA season right here with US Sportsbooks
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