The Indiana Fever won the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup last season, beating the Minnesota Lynx in the championship game to secure the title. In 2026, expectations were certainly high that they could repeat, especially with Caitlin Clark healthy once again.
Unfortunately for the Fever, they were eliminated from title contention even before playing their last game of the tournament on Tuesday.
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The New York Liberty beat the Washington Mystics on Sunday to go 5-0 in the Commissioner’s Cup. With the victory, they clinched the best record in the Eastern Conference, thereby earning a ticket to the competition’s title game.
For those unaware, the teams with the best record in each conference in the Commissioner’s Cup qualify for the championship game.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) warms up before a WNBA game.David Gonzales-Imagn Images
Why Were the Indiana Fever Eliminated?
The Fever are 4-1 in Cup play and sit second in the standings, behind only the unbeaten Liberty.
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While both teams still have one game to play and could still finish with the same win-loss record in the Eastern Conference, New York has the advantage after winning its tournament game against Indiana on June 6.
As the Commissioner’s Cup rules state, the first tiebreaker in the competition is the head-to-head matchup between the teams that are tied.
That effectively ends the Fever’s Commissioner’s Cup title defense since the best they could finish is second in the East. They play the Toronto Tempo at home next.
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The Fever have won three straight games in the Commissioner’s Cup and are undeniably one of the hottest teams in the league right now. Unfortunately, that one loss to the Liberty — during which they led by as many as 12 points — has come back to haunt them.
Related: WNBA to Punish Caitlin Clark After Indiana Fever Game
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Jun 15, 2026, where it first appeared in the WNBA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
