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Caitlin Clark reacts to Fever’s WNBA Commissioner’s Cup title
By Paul Harvey
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Caitlin Clark, unfortunately, missed her 3rd straight game on Tuesday night as the Indiana Fever squared off against the Minnesota Lynx for the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup. Fortunately, Clark’s teammates were able to carry the day.
After falling behind 20-12 in the 1st quarter, the Fever outscored the Lynx 40-22 across the 2nd and 3rd quarters to grab control of the game. Indiana eventually cemented its win in the 4th quarter, giving Indiana its first Commissioner’s Cup title in franchise history with the 74-59 victory.
The in-season tournament was hopeful to pit Clark against Minnesota’s Napheesa Collier, the league’s top 2 MVP frontrunners, but Clark was unable to go for a 3rd game with a left groin injury. Ultimately, Indiana’s defense against Collier was the key to the win.
The league’s top scorer at 24.4 points per game, Collier was held to just 12 points on 6-for-18 shooting. She also committed 5 turnovers in the loss.
On the flip side, Natasha Howard led the Fever with 16 points while Aliyah Boston added a double-double with 12 points, 11 rebounds and chipped in 6 assists. Sophie Cunningham provided 13 points off the bench, including 3 clutch 3-pointers in the win.
Afterward, Clark took the time to react to the win, shouting out her teammates on social media. She also got into the raucous locker room celebration.
Check it out:
With her most recent absence, Clark is now at 8 games missed from Indiana’s first 16 games of the season. The good news, for the larger scale of the season, is that Indiana is 2-1 during Clark’s most recent absence.
At this point in the season, Clark and the Fever are tied for 7th in the overall WNBA standings, a mark that would have the team heading back to the playoffs for a 2nd straight season. However, they’ll want to build a little cushion to avoid the pressure of the cut line moving forward.
The MVP race will also be worth monitoring, though Clark undoubtedly has to remain on the court moving forward to make things interesting. Collier is currently the favorite at bet365, coming in at -300. Clark has fallen off the pace with her missed time, but is still listed at +350.
Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.