It was a major win for the Fever, who beat one of the best teams in the WNBA without star guard Caitlin Clark. She was sidelined with an injury, yet the Fever were able to rally behind two veterans, their young star big, and a new peak performance on the defensive end.
“It felt good. It felt cool to do it in another place,” Fever veteran Sydney Colson said about winning her second Commissioner’s Cup title. “I think especially with the way our season’s been going, it’s been very up and down. So for us to play a game like that on the road against a very good team, it was just a sign of what we’re capable of. Now we gotta continue doing it.”
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Kelsey Mitchell and Natasha Howard were the vets who led the way. Howard, after a slow start, unlocked everything for the Fever. She was patient near the basket, rock solid from the foul line, and savvy in a way that only a former WNBA Champion could be. Her poise after a few early misses was impressive.
Howard finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds, taking home the MVP honors for the game. She sprinkled in assists and steals along the way. Yet it was her defense, often against All-WNBA player Napheesa Collier, that shined brightest. It wasn’t always Howard’s matchup, but she and the Fever battled hard as Collier finished with 12 points on 6-for-18 shooting. That defense put a stamp on a terrific outing for Howard.
“I think it was [Howard’s] role, and it was her game, to make sure that we got [her] what she needed,” Mitchell said of Howard. “And that’s what you guys saw, and we want to keep doing it throughout the course of 40 minutes.”
Mitchell, meanwhile, was her usual zippy self on offense with 12 points and three assists. Without a reliable 3-ball for the night, Mitchell forced herself into her favorite spots and made the Lynx defense react.
Aliyah Boston tied it all together. The now three-time All-Star has been sensational this season and was once again versus Minnesota, ripping off 12 points and 11 rebounds. It was her passing that stood out, though. Boston led the Fever with six assists, as her short-roll decision-making develops every day. Added high-low chemistry with Howard helped, too.
The Indiana Fever’s starting five had 58 points altogether, one shy of the Lynx’s total as a team. Even without Clark, the Fever found enough rim pressure and ball movement to be threatening, especially after a poor first quarter during which the Fever only scored 12 points. They averaged about 21 per frame the rest of the way.
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Guards Aari McDonald and Sophie Cunningham chipped in solid offensive nights, too. Indiana’s balance has improved as the season has progressed. But it was the defense that was the story of the game, and it was what the team walked away from the game the most proud of.
The Fever entered the game ranked eighth in defense rating. They’ve had quality defensive nights, but most of them have come against the league’s worst teams. Despite the less glamorous end of the court being a focus in practice recently for the Fever, they hadn’t seen a ton of progress.
That is, until the Commissioner’s Cup title game. They smothered the Lynx, who entered the game at the top of the WNBA in offensive rating. In the first quarter, Minnesota scored 20 points. With eight minutes to go until halftime, they had 27 and held a 13-point lead.
At halftime, Indiana led 32-27. The Fever held the Lynx scoreless for eight minutes of play, which ignited a significant, game-changing run. Collier and company scored just seven points in the second period as the Fever kept them away.
“Yeah, in the moment, you don’t really realize it until after the game when people are talking about it,” Boston said of the Fever’s great second-quarter defense. “But I think it’s pretty special, like when you hone in. Obviously, like I said, they’re a great team. And so for us, being able to see that is pretty great for us.”
In the second half, that continued. The Lynx scored just 15 third-quarter points and couldn’t get the lid off the basket. Shot after shot rattled out — some open, some not — as Indiana continued to expand its lead.
The Indiana Fever’s lead hovered around 10 points for much of the fourth quarter, but the Fever never appeared to be in any real danger of losing the lead. Their defense made a somewhat tight game feel secure. Minnesota scored just seven points in the first half of that quarter and couldn’t reverse its scoring problem.
“I think we were just a little bit more disruptive. We were in passing lanes. We didn’t allow them to just pass the ball one pass away. We made their movement a little bit more difficult because of our positioning, our point of attack on ball screen defense was better,” head coach Stephanie White said of her team’s defensive abilities in the win. “I would also say our intensity was a little bit better. Our attention to detail was a little bit better. It’s what we’re capable of doing.”
It was just the third time this season that Indiana held its opponent under 70 points, and the first time against a non-Chicago opponent. To do so against the WNBA’s top-scoring club is even more noteworthy. Defense guided the Fever all night, and in the end, it earned them a Commissioner’s Cup title.
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It was a strange reality for the Fever, who have been up and down all season and entered the game at 8-8. A .500 team was popping champagne — deservedly, of course — but they were equally amped about finding some success that they hope can transfer into games that count in the standings.
And the odd feelings of celebration in the middle of an up-and-down campaign don’t stop after the celebrations. The Fever flew home after the win and practiced the very next day, preparing for a game against the Las Vegas Aces. White did everything she could to re-center her team and get them focused after the exciting, title-winning night.
“Once you go to sleep and you wake up, you know that the Commissioner’s Cup was fun. It was such a great experience. But you also know that you have another game that matters on your record,” Boston explained. “And so for us, it’s about being focused on them.”
That’s the new challenge for the Indiana Fever. They proved they can beat the best teams and defend better than they have all season. It’s up to them to turn their Commissioner’s Cup title into momentum.
