No on-paper odds in favor, offense engine Caitlin Clark sidelined, facing last year’s champs and this year’s top dawgs, the mighty Minnesota Lynx – and still, somehow, the Indiana Fever came out swinging, dropped their best performance of the season, and took home the Commissioner’s Cup for the first time in franchise history. Sure, Tuesday’s contest doesn’t count toward their regular-season record, but it came with some serious bragging rights and a $500,000 prize. Naturally, the reactions that followed were just as wild as the win itself.

But before the big win, came all sorts of doubts. The Lynx were sitting pretty with a league-best 14-2 record, while Indiana was chilling at 8-8. Add to that the fact that the two hadn’t even faced off this year yet, and all signs were pointing straight to Minnesota domination. Then came the news that Clark would still be sidelined with that groin injury. Let’s just say that a lot of hope deflated right then and there.

But Indiana pulled off a 74-59 stunner. And even though Clark didn’t suit up, she was front and center when it came to turning that post-game party all the way up. Jumping, shouting, grinning ear to ear in her Commissioner’s Cup champ tee and cap, Clark was the unofficial MVP of the celebration. She hugged every teammate in sight and then did the most CC thing ever – crashed Aliyah Boston’s live postgame interview. Just as Boston was being asked what she’d do with her share of the prize money, Clark swooped in, hugged her tight, and screamed “bow-bow!” in full celebration mode. Boston just laughed and walked off with her.

But the wildest moment? That went down in the Fever locker room. You’ve seen teams go nuts with water showers, right? Indiana took it to a whole new level. They poured champagne into the actual Commissioner’s Cup – yes, the trophy itself – and Clark made sure everyone took a celebratory sip. It was pure chaos in the best way.

The WNBA posted the clip, writing, “That’s how you make good use of the Commissioner’s Cup trophy 😂.” And even the NBA couldn’t resist, reposting it with, “The party is on for the @IndianaFever 😆.”  Well, they earned every bit of it. The best part is this wasn’t even a nail-biter. Indiana straight-up handled the top team in the league. At one point, it looked rough. Fever trailed 27-14 just two minutes into the second quarter. But they stormed back with an 18-0 run, flipping the game and heading into halftime with a 32-27 lead. 

From there, it was all about their gritty defense. They forced tough passes, contested every shot, and made life miserable for Minnesota’s usually unstoppable offense. For a team that’s struggled to keep leads all season, this was a total flip of the script. Natasha Howard showed up like it was 2017 again in Minneapolis. She dropped 16 points on 4-of-10 shooting, hit all 8 of her free throws, grabbed 12 boards, dished 4 assists, and even picked up 2 steals. That earned her that MVP nod, no question.

Right behind her were Aliyah Boston, Aari McDonald, and Kelsey Mitchell, each chipping in 12 points. And then there was Sophie Cunningham, who poured in 13 and had a clutch moment midway through the fourth. With the Lynx creeping back and cutting the lead to 60-51, Cunningham drilled her third three of the night, quieting the crowd and giving Indiana the boost they needed.

But that’s not the only thing she is going viral for. 

Caitlin Clark’s teammate sparks city-wide reactions over WNBA expansion take

Earlier this week, the WNBA officially announced it would be expanding to Cleveland in 2028, followed by Detroit in 2029 and Philadelphia in 2030, bringing the league to a total of 18 teams. For many fans, it was a long time coming, especially for Detroit, which used to be home to the championship-winning Detroit Shock before the franchise relocated and eventually became today’s Dallas Wings.

Back when they were around, they had fan buzz, success on the court, and even set an all-time WNBA attendance record with 22,076 fans at Game 3 of the 2003 WNBA Finals. But in their final season in 2009, after owner Bill Davidson passed away, the team saw a dip in numbers and reported a $2 million loss. His wife Karen sold the franchise, and well, it was goodbye Detroit, hello Tulsa. So you’d think their return would be all joy and nostalgia, right? Well, not for everyone.

When Sophie Cunningham was asked about the league’s expansion to these cities, she didn’t exactly hold back. “You want to listen to your players, too. Like where do they want to play?” she said. “Where are they going to get excited to play and draw fans? I think Miami would have been a great one. Nashville is an amazing city. Kansas City, amazing opportunity. There’s a huge arena downtown that nobody is using.”

“But man, I don’t know how excited people are to be going to Detroit or [Cleveland],” she added. Detroit heard that loud and clear. The official X account for the city of Detroit wasted no time firing back. Not only did they remind everyone of the Shock’s three championships, but they also proudly flexed that Detroit is a certified sports city, home to NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL teams.

But the biggest clapback came from Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert himself. The billionaire took to X and wrote, “Come on Sophie, obviously you haven’t been to Detroit or Cleveland… you should support your Midwest sisters in this league and these two great cities that you’re going to come to know and love very shortly.”

Now, look, to be fair, Sophie probably wasn’t trying to drag the cities as much as she was expressing a player’s wish list. A lot of stars do love the idea of glitzy expansion destinations like Miami or Nashville. But, for now, the spotlight’s on Detroit and Cleveland, and judging by how the fans, the mayors, and even owners are jumping in, they’re more than ready for this WNBA return.