It has been an exciting week for the WNBA. On Monday, the league announced that three new expansion franchises will be coming to Cleveland in 2028, Detroit in 2029 and Philadelphia in 2030. The WNBA also announced the starting lineups for the 2025 All-Star game in Indianapolis.
Swept under the rug a bit has been the Commissioner's Cup Final, which will take place between the Eastern Conference's Indiana Fever and the Western Conference's Minnesota Lynx. The game will be played at the Target Center in Minneapolis on Tuesday at 8:00 p.m. ET.
Unfortunately, star Fever guard Caitlin Clark has been dealing with a groin injury, and her status for the final has been in question for several days. On Tuesday afternoon, however, fans got clarity on whether or not the second-year guard will be playing against the Lynx.
Caitlin Clark is OUT for the Commissioner's Cup Final
According to the Indiana Fever's official injury report, Clark will not play in the Commissioner's Cup Final against Minnesota. Forward Damiris Dantas is also out for Indiana as she fulfills her overseas commitment.
This is a major blow for the Fever, as they will be without their best player against the WNBA's best team. The Lynx have a 14-2 record, which is nearly three games better than any other team. However, Indiana will have to find a way to win if they want the $500,000 prize.
Clark has averaged 18.2 points, 8.9 assists and 5.0 rebounds per contest in the nine games that she has played this season. The team is 5-4 when she plays, as opposed to 3-4 without her.
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Veteran guard Kelsey Mitchell has found another level to play at this year, however, and she has largely stepped up in Clark's absence. She is leading the team with 18.9 points per game and is shooting an efficient 45.1% from the floor and 35.4% from beyond the arc.
Third-year post player Aliyah Boston has also taken another step this season, as she is contributing 15.9 points, 8.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists per night. While her averages are better with Clark in the lineup, she is more than capable of leading the charge.
Indiana will also need significant contributions from players like Natasha Howard, Sophie Cunningham, Lexie Hull, Aari McDonald and Sydney Colson if they want a chance to win the prize money and take down the league's best team.