Even with Caitlin Clark sidelined by a nagging groin strain, the Indiana Fever managed to knock off the menacing Minnesota Lynx, league leaders in offensive, defensive and net ratings, in the Commissioners Cup. Indiana seized the WNBAs in-season tournament through an odds-breaking road upset. Next up is reigning MVP Aja Wilson and her talented if mercurial Las Vegas Aces. Clark remains out Thursday night and will miss her fourth straight game.
Venue: Gainbridge Fieldhouse Indianapolis
Time: 7 p.m. ET, Thursday
TV: Prime Video (national), WTHR Channel 13 and Vegas 34 (regional)
Streaming: Fubo (in market, try for free)
Watching in person? Get tickets on StubHub.
This 2025 Fever season is particularly strange. Clark has found towering heights (her pyrotechnics against the then-undefeated New York Liberty) and gnarly lows (1-for-23 on 3-pointers in the recent ill-fated Western Conference road trip). Sure-thing Hall of Famer DeWanna Bonner came in for a veteran boost, only to find herself on waivers. The team is struggling to stay above .500, yet it just conquered the Ws most dominant force.
The Fever lifted the Commissioners Cup in Minnesota off the strength of a lopsided second quarter. They held the leagues most efficient scorers to just seven points in the period, as Sophie Cunningham drilled two 3s and Natasha Howard made six free throws. Indianas defense was thoroughly title-worthy on Tuesday, stifling MVP favorite Napheesa Collier inside (6-for-18, five turnovers, one tense confrontation with Aliyah Boston) while clamping down the perimeter.
Like Indiana, Las Vegas arrives with a tempered 8-8 record. Becky Hammons group, a semifinal-or-better fixture for the last six years, is now ninth in net rating per Basketball Reference. Wilson is still putting up points at 21.6 points per game, but shes doing so on career-worst shooting splits and turnover rates. The Aces did control their last matchup against the Fever, though, an 89-81 home win with 19-for-21 free-throw shooting. Chelsea Gray had an efficient 18 points and two steals in that contest.
The forthcoming 2025 All-Star Game will be played at the Fevers home venue. Among guards, Clark finished with the second-highest weighted score (and the most fan votes), while her teammate Kelsey Mitchell came in fifth and Vegas Jackie Young in 10th. Wilson had the second-highest weighted score in the frontcourt; Boston was fourth.
Best player to wear both jerseys: Danielle Robinson, the shifty and energetic defensive specialist. Natalie Williams deserves a shoutout here, though. The three-time All-WNBA center made four total All-Star appearances for these two franchises but that was back with the Aces first predecessor, the now-defunct Utah Starzz.
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This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
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