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Caitlin Clark Shouts Out Teammates for Winning Commissioners Cup Without Her
Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Caitlin Clark Shouts Out Teammates for Winning Commissioners Cup Without Her

Originally posted on FirstSportz  |  By Joseph Varghese  |  Last updated Jul 2, 2025 8:50 AM ET

The Indiana Fever stand eighth in the table after an inconsistent start to their 2025 campaign. Much of their struggles were attributed to their struggles with chemistry, as well as injuries to leading playmaker Caitlin Clark.

Her latest groin injury saw her miss two games, pushing her total to 7 games where she has not laced up. In those 7 games, her team had to struggle to play without the intelligent passing the 23-year-old brought to the fore.

Along with that, they also missed her electric scoring. Heading into tonight’s Commissioners Cup, the Fever were set to miss on both those qualities as Clark did not recover enough to play. That saw them trail early in the game against the reigning Cup champion Minnesota Lynx.

In the 2nd quarter, Fever head coach Stephanie White made some adjustments that would improve their toughness and defense at the expense of scoring. That immediately paid dividends as the underdogs blitzed the Lynx in the next 3 quarters to win the game 74-59.

My girls did their thing !!!!!! So proud!!

Caitlin Clark wrote on X

This was Caitlin Clark, proud of her teammates for keeping the promise she made to Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. She saw how her team turned on the jets against last season’s NBA Finalists to put the game away early in the second half.

She would have liked to play, but this game was a testament of how the Fever are starting to realize they can overcome any adversity. Now if they can continue the trend of Commissioners Cup finalists and winners, their 2025 season should be a success.

Trend of Commissioners Cup finalists should excite Caitlin Clark and Fever

The WNBA Commissioners Cup started in the 2021 season. Leaving out the inaugural season, all the winners have made it to the Finals in the same season. If that trend were to continue, the Fever will have capped off a great season.

However, their target is to win the title. Had DeWanna Bonner stayed and figured out how to contribute, maybe a title would not be a difficult goal. But after her exit, and the persistent injuries of Caitlin Clark, many believe a title would be a lofty goal.

There is though another trend that could continue from the past 2 seasons. The Las Vegas Aces lost the Commissioners Cup in 2023 to the New York Liberty, but won against them in the WNBA Finals. The same trend followed last season when Cup runner-up Liberty won the title against champion Lynx.

This time, the Lynx are one of the best teams in the league and are expected to return to the WNBA Finals. Even if they do not win, it should excite Clark and her Fever that the Commissioners Cup finalists get at least one chance to battle for the title in the immediate future.

Caitlin Clark shouts out Red Panda after suffering injury

Caitlin Clark sat on the bench throughout the game, cheering on her teammates and yelling at officials. During half-time, she was with her teammates inside the locker room, going over the details of the game.

When she came out, she saw that veteran basketball half-time entertainer, Red Panda, was being taken away in a wheelchair. After enquiring, she came to know that the acrobat lost her balance and fell off her unicycle and injured her left hand.

During their post-game celebrations, the 23-year-old along with teammate Lexie Hull sent out love to Red Panda, wishing her well in her recovery. The acrobat has long been a staple of monumental basketball half-time shows, creating a legacy spanning more than three decades.

This article first appeared on FirstSportz and was syndicated with permission.

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