Caitlin Clark will miss her third game in a row Tuesday with a left groin injury. This isn’t just a normal regular season game either, as this matchup vs. the Lynx is the WNBA’s Commissioner’s Cup Final and the winning team will be rewarded a $500,00 cash prize. Additionally, each player of the winning team will receive $5,000 in cryptocurrency, so Clark being out is massive news.
Clark was able to practice Sunday and labeled herself “day-to-day” to the media, but the Fever presumably don’t believe she is ready and will continue to sit her, even with so much at stake Tuesday. This season, Clark is averaging 18.2 points, 8.9 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game. Currently, she carries the second-best odds to win MVP this season at +350 on DraftKings Sportsbook. Tuesday will mark Clark’s eighth missed game of the season and with the guard inactive, Indiana is 3-4.
Aari McDonald ($5,000) started in place of Clark in the Fever’s last game and she finished with 13 points, six assists and two rebounds across 30 minutes in the 94-86 win for Indiana over the Wings (24 FPTS). McDonald finished fourth in plus/minus for the Fever in the victory and she should continue to start Tuesday vs. the Lynx, making McDonald an appealing DFS value play on DraftKings for this Showdown slate for the Commissioner’s Cup.
However, as a team, it’s hard to have much confidence in the Fever on Tuesday. As noted above, the club is 3-4 sans Clark this season and Indiana is facing the WNBA’s best team in the Lynx on its home floor. This season, Minnesota is 14-2 and the team is a perfect 8-0 at home.
The Lynx opened as a 5.5-point favorite over the Fever, but with the Clark news, Minnesota has moved all the way to an 11-point favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook.
