Fever Soar Past Lynx 74-59 to Win WNBA Commissioner's Cup

MINNEAPOLIS — Natasha Howard had a dominant performance, scoring 16 points, grabbing 12 rebounds, and dishing out four assists as the Indiana Fever defeated the Minnesota Lynx 74-59 in the WNBA Commissioner's Cup final.

The Fever overcame an early 13-point deficit without their All-Star guard Caitlin Clark, who has been sidelined since June 24 with a strained groin. Despite being short-handed, the Fever showed balanced scoring and a strong defensive effort against the team with the best record in the league.

Minnesota struggled on offense, shooting just 34.9% from the floor and making only 4-of-16 three-pointers, their worst performance of the season. The Lynx were held scoreless for the final 8:17 of the first half, going 0-for-10 from the floor as the Fever rallied back.

Sophie Cunningham scored 13 points, while Aliyah Boston, Aari McDonald, and Kelsey Mitchell each added 12 points. Alanna Smith led Minnesota with 15 points, but it wasn't enough to overcome the Fever's strong performance.

"We were missing our best player, and we still found a way to win," Howard said. "I'm proud of my teammates for stepping up and playing together."

The Fever built their lead to double digits in the third quarter, with Howard scoring 10 points, and the Lynx never got closer than seven the rest of the way. When Minnesota cut the deficit to 60-51 midway through the fourth quarter, Cunningham hit her third three-pointer of the night to silence the crowd and seal the win.

The Lynx had beaten the New York Liberty on the road in last year's Commissioner's Cup final. This year, they earned home-court advantage by virtue of their league-best 14-2 record.