MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Lynx hosted the Indiana Fever in the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup final on Tuesday night at Target Center, but a Caitlin Clark fan stole the show on X.
With Indiana’s star guard Caitlin Clark sidelined by a left groin injury, the fan’s viral message read, “9th in your rankings sign but #1st in your nightmares,” referencing Clark’s ninth-place ranking in All-Star guard voting despite topping fan ballots. The 8 p.m. ET game, aired on Prime Video, saw the Lynx (14-2) favored by 5.5 points over the Fever (8-8) on DraftKings, with Minnesota at -235 on the moneyline.
The matchup, a clash for the $500,000 prize pool, marked Indiana’s first Cup final appearance against the defending champion Lynx. Clark, averaging 18.2 points and 8.9 assists, missed her third straight game and eighth overall this season, having previously sat out five with a quad injury. Her absence left the Fever relying on Kelsey Mitchell (18.9 points per game) and Aliyah Boston to challenge Minnesota’s Napheesa Collier, the league’s leading scorer at 24.4 points per game. The Lynx, undefeated at home (8-0), leaned on their top-ranked defense, allowing just 74.1 points per game.
The fan’s X post, poking fun at Clark’s All-Star snub by players despite her fan-vote lead, resonated widely, capturing the passion of Fever supporters. Clark, a former Iowa star who went 9-0 in Minnesota during her college career, has drawn massive crowds at Target Center, and Tuesday was no exception. Fever fans filled sections 112-115, their energy rivaling the Lynx’s vocal faithful, who packed the arena with “M-V-P” chants for Collier. The troll sparked laughter and debate on X, with one user replying, “Caitlin’s out, but her fans are undefeated!”
This Caitlin Clark fan is quite funny!
Despite the lighthearted jab, the game carried weight. Minnesota’s Kayla McBride (15.8 points) and Courtney Williams (6.0 assists) aimed to exploit Indiana’s depleted lineup, missing Clark and reserve Damiris Dantas (national team duty). The Fever, 4-1 in Cup play, showed grit, with Mitchell’s 32-point outburst against Dallas fueling upset hopes. “It’s a playoff vibe,” Collier said of the raucous crowd, expected to exceed 18,000. For Fever fans, the X troll was a reminder of Clark’s impact, on and off the court, as they rallied behind their team in a tough road test.
Do you support the Caitlin Clark fan?
Clark will be out on Tuesday due to a groin injury, but that didn’t stop this fan from showing out for Indiana.
Can the Fever overcome Clark’s absence? Only time will tell.
It’s the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup, live on Prime Video platforms.
