Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Indiana Fever's Natasha Howard Earns Praise on Thursday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Rowan Fisher-Shotton | Last updated Jul 3, 2025 8:24 PM ET

The Indiana Fever face the Las Vegas Aces on Thursday holding an 8-8 record in the WNBA’s Eastern Conference.

Through 16 games, Indiana ranked third in the East with a .500 record, scoring an average of 84.1 points per game and allowing 80.1, good for fifth in the league in point differential.

This midseason contest carries extra significance following the Fever’s first-ever Commissioner's Cup victory earlier this week, and Thursday's contest marks their first home game since the win.

Ahead of tipoff, the Fever held a brief pregame ceremony to honor veteran forward Natasha Howard for two major milestones: her selection as the MVP of the 2025 Commissioner's Cup and her inclusion to the elite 4,000‑point club.

Natasha Howard was honored pregame for being named MVP of the Commissioner’s Cup & reaching 4,000 points pic.twitter.com/vl2bMRVevt
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) July 3, 2025

Howard earned Commissioner’s Cup MVP honors after a dominant performance in the championship game on Tuesday, posting 16 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and two steals to lead Indiana to a 74-59 victory over the Minnesota Lynx.

That win capped the Fever’s 4-1 run in Cup play and secured the franchise's first-ever in-season title.

The 4,000‑point milestone came courtesy of a 13‑point outing against the Golden State Valkyries on June 19, becoming the 52nd player in WNBA history to accomplish the feat.

Drafted fifth overall by the Fever in 2014 after a standout career at Florida State, Howard has built a resume that includes three WNBA championships, the 2019 Defensive Player of the Year award and two All‑Defensive First Team selections.

Over her career, Howard has earned two All-Star nods, succeeded in international competition with back‑to‑back EuroLeague crowns in 2023 and 2024 and earned All‑WNBA First Team honors in 2019.

Her return to Indiana in the offseason marked a homecoming to the franchise that drafted her.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: