The Minnesota Lynx still have the best record in the WNBA and were the favorites to win the Commissioner’s Cup final. Indiana refused to go down without a fight, though. Even with Caitlin Clark sidelined, the Fever battled back from a sizeable deficit to claim the 74-59 victory. The Lynx played a terrible second quarter, only scoring seven points to the Fever’s 20.
Led by big double-doubles from Natasha Howard and Aliyah Boston, the Fever handed the Lynx their third loss of the season. The loss cost the Lynx money. The Commissioner’s Cup champion receives $500,000 to split among its players. The runner-ups also get money for making it to the championship game, but it is significantly less than the winners.
Nevertheless, the Lynx’s loss comes with a surprising silver lining. After losing in Game 5 of the finals last season, the Lynx’s ultimate goal is to win another championship. Recent WNBA history suggests that they have a great chance now that they have lost the Commissioner’s Cup final.
So far, the Las Vegas Aces are the only Commissioner’s Cup champions who also went on to win a WNBA title in the same season. In each of the last two seasons, the runners-up took home the championship trophy at the end of the season. In 2023, Las Vegas lost the Commissioner’s Cup final to New York but won its second consecutive WNBA title later in the year. Likewise, the Liberty lost to the Lynx last season and then beat them in the WNBA finals.
A WNBA title is still well within reach for the Lynx
While a loss to the Clark-less Fever on a big stage doesn’t look great for the Lynx, it doesn’t actually impact the team’s ability to win a championship. Minnesota is still the best team in the WNBA—the Liberty’s recent losing streak has created some separation between the two teams—and Napheesa Collier is still the favorite to win the MVP award.
The Lynx have a legitimate superstar, an experienced coaching staff, and a well-rounded team on both ends of the court. Minnesota’s shooting performance against the Fever was abysmal. As a team, the Lynx only converted 34.9 percent of their attempts from the field and 25 percent from three. That is well below the team’s average and certainly not the norm.
The Lynx will undoubtedly bounce back from this loss, even hungrier to take home the 2025 WNBA Championship. Minnesota responded to both previous losses this season with a string of big wins.