MINNEAPOLIS — Caitlin Clark was ruled out for the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup final between the Indiana Fever and Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday night.
Clark said earlier this week she would push to play after the Fever listed her as day-to-day. Her availability going forward remains uncertain.
“Doing everything I can to put myself in position to play the next game. That’s always my goal,” Clark said Monday.
The Fever (8-8) could have used their top player in their highest-profile game of the season. They will play the Lynx (14-2) in the championship game of the league’s in-season tourney, which comes with a $500,000 prize pool and donations to the winning and losing team’s chosen charities.
The Lynx are looking to post back-to-back titles after winning the Commissioner’s Cup against the New York Liberty in 2024. The Liberty got their revenge over the Lynx in the WNBA Finals.
Lynx star Napheesa Collier said she expects an intense atmosphere in Minneapolis.
“I think it’s going to feel like a playoff game,” Collier said. “It’s going to be really fun. Our fans show up for us every game, but especially in that environment. … It’s going to be electrifying.”
Clark grew up in neighboring Iowa as an avid fan of the Lynx, and she has drawn throngs of supporters in Minnesota during her collegiate career with the Iowa Hawkeyes as well as during her first season in the WNBA.
Without her in the lineup on Tuesday, Kelsey Mitchell will be needed to carry the scoring load. She leads the Fever with 18.9 points per game this season.
This will be the Fever’s first appearance in the Commissioner’s Cup title game.
“These are the moments we’re going to look back on,” Clark said. “Everybody’s been through a little bit of adversity here. (I’m) giving our group credit for being able to stick together and know that whatever’s in our locker room is all we need to win.
“Really proud of our group, every single day.”
Collier feels the same way about the Lynx. She leads the team with 24.4 points and 8.5 rebounds per game, and she has appeared in back-to-back games after a back injury sidelined her for the previous two contests.
Kayla McBride averages 15.8 points for Minnesota, and Courtney Williams rounds out the top three scorers with 12.9 points per contest. She also ranks fourth in the WNBA with 6.0 assists per game.
Lynx guard Karlie Samuelson left her most recent game because of a foot injury, and her status for Tuesday night is uncertain. She is averaging 3.3 points in 16 games (four starts).
The Fever will also be without forward Damiris Dantas, who is playing for Brazil in an international tournament. Dantas is averaging 5.0 points in 13 games off the bench.
–Tom Musick, Field Level Media
