The Indiana Fever is riding a major high after surprising just about everyone and beating the Minnesota Lynx in the Commissioner's Cup Tuesday night. The team now has the opportunity to do something that's rarely been done: winning the Commissioner's Cup and the Finals in the same season.
Almost as soon as it became clear the Fever were taking the win, a lot of people began to offer reminders that in the last two seasons, the team that won the Cup did not go on to win the Finals. But just because something has happened recently doesn't mean it's always going to happen — and the league's own recent past proves that winning the Cup and the Finals is entirely possible.
Run it back: the Aces had a huge 2022 season
In fact, in 2022 the Aces did exactly that, becoming the only team to pull off both wins. The season was the team's 26th in the league and was Becky Hammon's first at the helm (Hammon was named head coach in December 2021).
Las Vegas was on a hot streak when they won the Cup for the first time that season, beating the Sky 93-83. The team finished the following month with an 8-3 record and made it to the playoffs, where they knocked out the Mercury and Storm before heading into the Finals series against the Connecticut Sun. The Aces won the first two games, lost the third, and won the fourth, claiming the first championship in franchise history.
The Fever can learn from the Aces
With this win, July is now a crucial month for the Fever if the team hopes to earn their own playoff spot. The Fever is currently ranked 8th in the league, which would get them in — but just barely, and the Fever isn't really the type of team that does "just barely" well.
There is no official timeline for Caitlin Clark's return (the team has noted she's expected to be out for two to four weeks), but the Fever has demonstrated multiple times this season they have the ability to win with Clark and, crucially, without her. Adding Aari McDonald back to the roster was an extremely strong step in the right direction as the Fever moves closer to the team's ultimate goal: the 2025 championship.
After a flurry of headlines and news during the preseason, this season hasn't so far gone the way the Fever wanted it to... but that doesn't mean the team can't take this win and turn it around. In many ways, the team's next game against the Aces on Thursday will be a strong indication of things to come, and it's crucial the Fever continues its path of dominance.