The WNBA regular season will take a pause for a few days this week as the 2025 Commissioner’s Cup championship takes center stage. On Tuesday, Napheesa Collier and the Minnesota Lynx will host the Indiana Fever, who may be without the services of Caitlin Clark. Should Clark take the floor, this will be the most anticipated title game since the in-season competition began in 2021.
The Lynx are the defending champions, and are looking to become the first team to go back-to-back. They are off to a league-best 14-2 start overall this season behind Collier and elite 3-point shooting, and went 5-1 in Commissioner’s Cup games to earn the top spot in the Western Conference.
The Fever, on the other hand, have dealt with all sorts of adversity this season. Clark has missed seven games due to two injuries, while Sophie Cunningham and coach Stephanie White have also missed multiple games. Meanwhile, key offseason signing DeWanna Bonner forced her way out of town. They are just 8-8 overall, which has them stuck in eighth place, but went 4-1 in Cup games to earn the Eastern Conference’s spot.
It’s hard to write a full preview without knowing Clark’s status. She told reporters on Sunday that she’s “day-to-day,” and White added that she’s still limited to non-contact drills. It would make sense long-term to hold Clark out and give her the extra days of rest, but she’ll be pushing to play and the league would certainly love to have her involved in a marquee event.
The Lynx deserve to be favored regardless of whether Clark plays, especially at home where they are a perfect 8-0, but if she suits up the Fever are more than capable of beating anyone.
Here are CBS Sports’ latest WNBA Power Rankings:
