Caitlin Clark will miss the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup championship game tonight at Target Center against the Lynx because of a groin injury.
The Indiana Fever guard, a second-year pro who will be one of the team captains at the league’s All-Star Game (along with Lynx forward Napheesa Collier), was listed as questionable yesterday, but did not participate in the team’s shootaround this morning and was declared out this afternoon for the 7 p.m. game.
The game is expected to be a near-sellout given Clark’s popularity and the fact that she was an All-America as a college player at Iowa.
The Commissioner’s Cup is the WNBA mid-season tournament, where teams qualify by winning certain games in their conference. The Fever represent the Eastern Conference, and the Lynx the West.
The Lynx won the title last year by beating the New York Liberty.
Clark has been an enormous draw from the moment she entered the league as the top pick in the 2024 draft.
As the All-Star Game voting showed, Clark — who has missed seven games because of injuries, including the past two with the groin injury — is immensely popular. Her move from two NCAA finals appearances with Iowa to the WNBA came with fanfare and brought millions of new eyes to the league. Her impact can be seen in attendance figures, the league’s move to charter travel, increased ratings and likely in the way the new collective bargaining agreement will look.
The Lynx have the WNBA’s top record at 14-2, while the Fever are 8-8. They are 5-4 with Clark in the lineup.
