The Queen is back. So is the chase.
Caitlin Clark returned from injury on Saturday, and with it, the Indiana Fever reignited its Commissioner’s Cup hopes with a searing 102-88 win over the New York Liberty. In a game where Fever fans roared and Liberty players could only laugh off the onslaught, Clark’s presence was undeniable. But while her return made headlines, it also came shadowed by the smoke of a recent controversy involving Brittney Griner—and now, with the Commissioner’s Cup stakes heating up, the drama around Clark, Griner, and Atlanta isn’t just off-court. It’s dictating Indiana’s entire trajectory. Tuesday may decide more than just a final—it may clarify a narrative boiling over.
Because this isn’t just about Clark. Or Griner. Or the elbows. Or the words.
It’s about Atlanta.
As it stands, the Eastern Conference’s Commissioner’s Cup puzzle has three pieces: Atlanta, Indiana, and New York. The Fever, Liberty, and Dream are locked at 3-1 in Cup play. But only one can go through to the July 1 final. The math is simple, but the outcomes aren’t.
If Indiana wins and Atlanta loses to New York, the Fever clinch. If Atlanta beats New York, they go through. If Indiana loses and New York wins, Liberty advances. And with Connecticut holding just one Cup win in four, Tuesday’s Indiana-Connecticut game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse favors the Fever.
A thread of scenarios for teams looking to earn a spot in the Championship Game of the Commissioner’s Cup presented by @coinbase on Tuesday, July 1.
It all comes down to tomorrow night — a full slate of games will decide who punches their ticket to the Cup Championship. pic.twitter.com/Lw6Jx5WrIf
— WNBA Communications (@WNBAComms) June 16, 2025
But just when it seemed straightforward, adding to Griner to the mix only makes the situation spicier , why ? well griner has a history of throwing elbows at Fevers alaliyah boston, and even settng hard screens for clark. howeever the elbows thrown around the game come second with the recent controversty that griner finds herself in
On May 30, during a tense game between the Mercury and Fever, Griner fouled out after delivering a hard shot that left fans lip-reading what she may or may not have said to Caitlin Clark. The internet exploded. Some accused her of using a racial slur. Griner denied it.
“I remember fouling out, being mad,” she told Outkick. “I really can’t remember what I said, honestly.” When asked if she might have said “f–king white girl,” Griner responded, “I know it wasn’t that because I wouldn’t use that type of language.”
That same week, Clark suffered a quad injury and missed time. The timing was enough to light up the timeline with takes and theories. And just like that, the controversy grew legs.
But here’s where it gets messy.
Caitlin Clark can win the Fever a spot in the Cup if New York helps.
Indiana is 3-1 in Cup play. Atlanta is 3-1, too. But Atlanta holds the biggest point differential at +62, compared to Indiana’s +31. New York? They’re at +61. So the Fever aren’t just playing to win against the Sun. They’re praying for the Dream to fall. That’s why Tuesday’s Dream vs. Liberty game matters more than anything Indiana can control.
But if we focus on the controllables, head coach Stephanie White knows the stakes, especially with Connecticut, despite its 2–8 record.
ESPN gave the Sun just an 18% chance of beating the Fever, but White knows they can’t take Connecticut lightly, especially after the early-season loss they suffered to them.
“It’s an important game for us, as every game is. We didn’t play our best the last time that these two teams met,” she said after practice on Monday. “We feel like we are a better team now. They are a better team, too.”
The Fever have grown—six games in 10 days with limited practice time has forced them to sharpen mentally. White’s mantra? Stay focused. “Make sure we continue to grow and stack days and be better tomorrow than we were on Saturday,” she added.
New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (30) reacts to a deep 3-pointer by Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) on Saturday, June 14, 2025, during a game between the Indiana Fever and the New York Liberty at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
And it’s true: they’ve figured out how to play without Caitlin Clark. Where once Clark was a crutch, now she’s a weapon—an addition, not the foundation. That shift is what helped bring down New York in Saturday’s showdown.
But above all, it’s the veterans, Sydney Colson and Sophie Cunningham, who’ve become the steadying voices in the locker room. Together, they bring 18 years of experience, and they’re pouring it into the Fever’s system.
“They are making sure that we stay locked in and intentional in everything that we do,” said White. Colson echoed it: “We are still building, trying to get ourselves right. It’s a cool opportunity to be playing for the Cup, but it’s honestly just another game where we need to do things that we need to do.”
However, doing the things they need to do doesn’t mean they end up where they want to be.
The Fever are second in the WNBA in fouls drawn (21.1), but they also struggle to defend without fouling. On Saturday, they committed 22 fouls. In fact, they rank third in the league in personal fouls per game (20.8). That could haunt them on Tuesday.
If Clark and the Fever get into foul trouble early, it gives Connecticut a real shot.
And if the Dream stun the Liberty?
It’s Atlanta that goes through. Not Indiana. Not New York.
The post Caitlin Clark – Brittney Griner Controversy Deepens as Atlanta Dream Controls Indiana Fever’s Fate appeared first on EssentiallySports.
