The Indiana Fever and Minnesota Lynx are facing off in the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup championship game on Tuesday night. The Lynx are looking for their second straight trophy, while the Fever are making their title game debut. Indiana, however, will be without its brightest star. Caitlin Clark is out Tuesday night, the team announced. Clark is dealing with a groin issue and will miss her third consecutive game.
“I think the most important thing for us is big picture,” Fever coach Stephanie White said. “No sense in rushing anything.”
The Fever might be more dangerous than their .500 record suggests because when everything is clicking they have been able to take down top teams like the New York Liberty. However, Clark has gone through a bit of a sophomore slump and dealt with multiple injuries that have so far cost her seven games.
Meanwhile, the Lynx have the WNBA’s best record this season at 14-2. They had to play two games without the league’s leading scorer Napheesa Collier due to a back injury, but she made her return this past weekend and had strong performances in the wins against the Atlanta Dream and Connecticut Sun.
Clark and Collier were recently announced as the WNBA All-Star game captains, with Clark receiving a record-breaking 1,293,526 votes from fans.
Fever vs. Lynx: Where to watch
- Date: Tuesday, July 1 | Time: 8 p.m. ET
- Location: Target Center — Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Live stream: Prime Video | TV channel: N/A
- Odds (via DraftKings): Lynx -9.5, O/U 159.5
‘Playoff game’ type of environment
Fever players were talking about championship aspirations during preseason after reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2016. Although they have shown a lot of potential, inconsistency has led them to a 8-8 record. Clark said Tuesday’s game could be the opportunity the Fever need to show how competitive they can be.
“It’s a huge opportunity for us,” Clark said. “They have a great crowd, great environment. A team that’s very experienced with one another. They’ve been in the Finals, have been in big situations, won the Commissioner’s Cup last year. So I think it’s a really great opportunity for us to go in there and see what we are made of, have a little pressure, but also just go out there and play our game. Just know that you don’t have to play any different than we’ve been playing. Personnel will be really important, but we are certainly excited to try to play for something and get the win.”
As Clark pointed out, the Lynx won’t be a walk in the park. Minnesota is currently undefeated at home with a 8-0 record, and that crowd is expected to turn up the intensity with a trophy on the line.
“I think it’s going to feel like a playoff game,” Collier said. “…It’s going to be really fun. Whenever we have our fans here they show up for us every game, and especially in that environment. It’s amazing, it’s electrifying to be a part of.”
Prize pool
The 2025 WNBA Commissioner’s Cup features a $500,000 prize pool for the winning team. All players on the roster will receive a portion of that money, while the MVP of the championship game will receive an additional $5,000.
Each member of the runner-up team will receive $10,000, and every player in the title game will get at least $5,000 in cryptocurrency from Coinbase. In addition to their prize money, the teams are also playing for money that will go to their chosen non-profit organization. The Lynx chose ACLU of Minnesota, while the Fever selected the Peace Learner Center.