The WNBA couldn’t have scripted things any better on Tuesday night.
Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever clinched their spot in the WNBA’s Commissioner’s Cup, thanks to an 88-71 win over the Connecticut Sun.
Clark had a cool 20 points. She connected on four three-pointers as Indiana won its second straight with her back in the lineup.
It wasn’t the most memorable, outside of some chippiness and a fight that broke out at the end after a hard foul from Sophie Cunningham on Jacy Sheldon.
Yet, the WNBA had to be interested.
A win by the Fever meant they were in the final of the league’s midseason tournament. The opponent? None other than the Minnesota Lynx, creating the dream scenario for the WNBA.
Why the Commissioner’s Cup final is perfect for the WNBA
Having Clark in the game is a win. TV ratings plummeted when she wasn’t on the court, while over 2 million watched the Fever knock off the Liberty last weekend. It was the third-highest-rated WNBA game ever broadcast on ABC, according to ESPN.
What makes it even better is that the July 1 matchup, which will take place in Minnesota, will also feature the current front-runner for MVP: Napheesa Collier, who led the Lynx, 11-1 overall, to the title game.
Minnesota clinched its spot after rallying from nine points down to knock off the Las Vegas Aces 76-62 on Tuesday.
Collier only played 19 minutes and didn’t return in the second half after an injury, but the championship game is two weeks away, so she has time to recover. Collier’s teammates offered positive updates after the game.
Clark is the WNBA’s most exciting player. But Collier has been the clear MVP so far this season.
The teams are scheduled to meet three times in the WNBA regular season; however, the first matchup wouldn’t have taken place until Aug. 22.
Now, WNBA fans will be treated to a Clark-Collier showdown much earlier, and it will be for some WNBA hardware, potentially the first of Clark’s career.
