The Indiana Fever took home the WNBA's Commissioner's Cup on Tuesday night, but it was injured star Caitlin Clark who delivered the postgame dagger.
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— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) July 2, 2025
After the Fever topped the Minnesota Lynx 74-59 to claim the in-season tournament title and a $500,000 prize, celebrations spilled into the locker room — complete with champagne, vodka seltzers and a surprise soundbite from the game's most talked-about player.
Clark, sidelined with a groin injury, was off-camera during teammate Aaliyah Boston's Instagram Live when she let fly with a pointed jab at the rest of the league.
"Guys, I just know everybody in the league is sick," Clark is heard saying, via Fox News Digital, prompting laughter from her teammates. Boston chimed in with a more blunt take: "They're p—-ed."
Clark didn't stop there. While toasting the Cup win, she also took aim at the WNBA's prize structure.
"You get more [money] for this than you do if you're the [WNBA Finals] champion. It makes no sense," she said in another clip. "Someone tell [commissioner] Cathy [Engelbert] to help us out."
The math backs her up. According to reports, players on the Commissioner's Cup-winning team each receive roughly $30,000, while a WNBA title nets players an additional $20,000.
Clark, 22, was selected No. 1 overall in April after a record-setting college career at Iowa, where she became the all-time leading scorer in NCAA Division I history, men's or women's. Her presence has already proven to be a television and ticket office boon. Her June 14 return from a calf injury drew 2.2 million viewers, making it the third-most-watched WNBA game ever on ABC. The broadcast peaked at 2.8 million viewers, a 76% jump from the network's regular-season average a year ago.
(Getty Images)
Last season marked the WNBA's most-watched regular season in 24 years and highest in-person attendance in 22 years. Much of that surge has been credited to Clark's arrival, though not without pushback.
Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese has said the rise of women's basketball is "not just because of one person. It's because of me, too." Meanwhile, Las Vegas Aces star A'ja Wilson has pointed to Clark's race as a "huge thing" in her popularity.
Still, Clark's influence is undeniable. Ahead of the 2024 season, Indiana held the 10 most in-demand games on StubHub, with several games moved to larger arenas to accommodate fan interest.
Clark didn't play Tuesday night, but her voice — much like her game — still found the spotlight.
