Fans Loved Fever Coaches’ Subtle Tribute to Caitlin Clark During Cup Final Win

This was so sweet to see.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) looks on against the Minnesota Lynx in the second half during the Commissioner's Cup final at Target Center.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) looks on against the Minnesota Lynx in the second half during the Commissioner's Cup final at Target Center. / Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
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The Indiana Fever managed to pull off a thrilling upset over the league-leading Minnesota Lynx in the WNBA Commissioner's Cup final on Tuesday night.

It was, without a doubt, a resounding team win, as the Fever were missing Caitlin Clark for the third straight game due to a groin injury. Five Fever players finished with double-digit points in the 74-59 victory, with veteran Natasha Howard named MVP of the game for her big-time double-double (16 points, 12 rebounds).

Even with Clark not on the court, the Fever did their best to channel her competitive spirit in the final. The Fever coaches did a little more than that, and arrived to Target Center in Clark's player edition shoes—the sold-out Kobe 5 Protro PEs—in a show of support and solidarity for the injured star.

Fever coach Stephanie White and her assistants were seen rocking Clark's shoes on the court during the game. Afterward, when the team took their championship pictures, the coaches' shoes were proudly on display:

What a sweet gesture to Clark.

The Fever second-year guard has now missed eight games due to injuries this WNBA season, though her team didn't seem to need her too much in Tuesday's win against the Lynx. Up next for Clark and the Fever (8-8) is a regular season matchup against the Las Vegas Aces at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.


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Kristen Wong
KRISTEN WONG

Kristen Wong is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. She has been a sports journalist since 2020. Before joining SI in November 2023, Wong covered four NFL teams as an associate editor with the FanSided NFL Network and worked as a staff writer for the brand’s flagship site. Outside of work, she has dreams of running her own sporty dive bar.