The Indiana Fever upset the Lynx to win the Commissioner's Cup without Caitlin Clark

On July 1st, the Indiana Fever surprised the favored Minnesota Lynx to win the in-season title without their star player, Caitlin Clark.

In their 74-59 victory, the Fever not only overcame being without Clark, who was sidelined for a third straight game with a groin injury. They were also 10.5-point underdogs on the road against the best team in the WNBA. Despite the odds, the Fever showed a lot of resilience and had their best all-around team win of the season.

Veteran forward Natasha Howard led the way for the Fever, achieving a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds, and earning the title of Commissioner's Cup MVP. The 2023 Rookie of the Year, Aliyah Boston, also had an impressive game, contributing 12 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 assists. Additionally, the Fever's guards—excluding Clark—comprised of Kelsey Mitchell, Aari McDonald, Lexie Hull, Sydney Colson, and Sophie Cunningham, combined to score a total of 46 points.

Fever coach Stephanie White spoke highly of her team's performance, stating, "We have a resilient group, you know?" Fever coach Stephanie White said. "They're tough, mentally and physically. They pull for one another. I'm just really proud. We're going to continue to get better. Caitlin is a player who has a high usage rate, has the ball in her hands a lot. Learning to play without her, learning to make big plays in tough moments on both ends of the floor is important."

The biggest takeaway from the Fever's impressive victory was their outstanding defense, which limited the first-seeded Lynx to a season-low 59 points. The Fever's defense was particularly effective, as they held the Lynx scoreless for the last 8 minutes and 13 seconds of the half, allowing them to take control of the game. This marked the first time since the 2011 season that the Lynx had gone scoreless for at least eight consecutive minutes.

In addition to their solid team defense, a key factor in the Fever's victory was successfully containing Napheesa Collier, the WNBA's leading scorer. Former 2019 Defensive Player of the Year, Natasha Howard, limited Collier to just 12 points on 6-of-18 shooting, which is significantly lower than her league-high average of 24.4 points per game.

Indiana hasn’t had the best start to the season, primarily due to Caitlin Clark's struggles with injuries. Despite their 8-8 record, their performance should demonstrate to the league just how dangerous this team can be, especially when Clark returns to full strength. Since we’re not even halfway through the WNBA season, I believe the Fever's confidence will remain high as they strive to build on the momentum from their in-season title win.