No one saw this coming. Not the analysts. Not the sportsbooks. Not even some of the fans. But the Indiana Fever just rewrote the script of the 2025 WNBA season—and they did it without Caitlin Clark on the floor.
Facing the Minnesota Lynx, the defending champions and league-best team with MVP frontrunner Napheesa Collier, the Fever were given no chance. Down their biggest star, left reeling by the sudden departure of veteran DeWanna Bonner, and missing Damaris Dantas due to international duties, Indiana was supposed to fold.
Instead, they put on the performance of a lifetime.
From the opening tip-off, something shifted. The Fever played like a team with nothing to lose—and everything to prove. Every pass had purpose. Every defensive stand sent a message. Led by Kelsey Mitchell, Aliyah Boston, Natasha Howard, and a hungry supporting cast, Indiana stunned the WNBA world and claimed their first-ever Commissioner’s Cup title with a 74-59 win over the Lynx in their own building.
“Everybody in the league is sick.”
That’s what Caitlin Clark said after the win. Just six words—but they captured everything. Her team had just pulled off the impossible, and the entire league was watching in disbelief.
Clark, sidelined with a groin injury for the third straight game, stayed locked in on the sidelines, supporting her teammates, coaching, and cheering through every possession. Cameras caught her holding the trophy like a chalice during the postgame celebration, laughing with teammates and showing exactly what kind of leader she is—even in street clothes.
But make no mistake—this win belongs to the players who took the court and delivered when the odds were stacked high.
Natasha Howard was unstoppable. The veteran forward finished with 16 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, and two steals—earning her MVP honors for the game. She outworked, outmuscled, and outplayed the Lynx all night, even locking down Collier on several key possessions and forcing five turnovers. She was a wall on defense and a weapon on offense, hitting all eight of her free throws with ice in her veins.
Kelsey Mitchell lit the spark. She opened the game aggressively, attacked the rim with confidence, and hit big-time shots from beyond the arc—finishing with 14 points and key assists. She set the tone early, proving she was ready to step up in Clark’s absence.
Aliyah Boston finally got the ball—and made it count. After struggling in recent games to find her rhythm, Boston dominated inside the paint, scoring 12 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, and dishing out six assists. She played with poise and purpose, helping the Fever weather a late Lynx push.
Sophie Cunningham brought fire off the bench, draining three crucial three-pointers and finishing with 13 points and seven rebounds. Her energy helped the Fever swing the momentum when it mattered most.
Lexie Hull and Arie McDonald made huge contributions as well. McDonald, a recent signing, came in like a spark plug with 12 points and relentless defense. Every player in uniform found a way to impact the game.
The Fever’s team-oriented play—five players scoring in double figures, stifling defense that held Minnesota to just 34.9% shooting, and timely stops—was nothing short of championship-caliber.
The Lynx crowd went quiet. ESPN, who had pre-scheduled a victory video for Minnesota, scrambled to change their narrative. The WNBA world had to take a hard look at a team they had written off.
This wasn’t just a win—it was a gut check moment. As head coach Stephanie White put it, “Pressure is a privilege.” And the Fever answered the call.
This team has been through everything this season: key injuries, disappointing losses, media doubt, even teammates walking out on them. Yet here they are—Commissioner’s Cup champions. And they did it the hard way.
But perhaps the most telling moment of the night came in that locker room.
As the music blared and champagne sprayed, Clark raised her voice above the celebration.
“Everybody in the league is sick.”
A shot across the bow at critics, skeptics, and maybe even jealous rivals. But also a battle cry for what’s to come.
Because if the Fever can win like this without their star, imagine what happens when she returns.
This was supposed to be a beatdown. Instead, it became a coronation—for a new kind of champion. One built on heart, not hype. One forged in adversity, not luxury.
The Indiana Fever just sent a message: they are here, they are for real, and they are coming for it all.
