Latest news with #FeverLynx
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Fever-Lynx Halftime Performer Leaves Court After Injury
Fever-Lynx Halftime Performer Leaves Court After Injury originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Indiana Fever, in their third-straight game with All-WNBA point guard, traveled to Minneapolis on Tuesday to take on Napheesa Collier and the Minnesota Lynx in the Commissioner's Cup Championship Game. Advertisement Clark missed her eighth game of the season after suffering a groin injury a week ago. It came shortly after she returned from a quad injury that had sidelined the former Iowa star for five games. But the Fever weren't the only ones dealing with injuries. In fact, at halftime, popular acrobat Red Panda was preparing to perform her stunts in front of the crowd at Target Center. According to Fieldhouse Files' Scott Agness, Red Panda was unable to perform, suffering an apparent wrist injury before beginning. "Halftime injury update: Red Panda fell before getting started, left court clutching her left wrist," Agness wrote on X. Rong Niu, better known as Red Panda, is a Chinese American acrobat known for her halftime performances at NBA games, including this year's NBA Finals. She has performed at more than 40 NBA games as well as numerous college basketball events. Red Panda has also appeared on "America's Got Talent" and "Britain's Got Talent." Advertisement The Fever and Lynx have more at stake than usual in Tuesday night's game. Each player on the winning team will earn a $30,000 bonus, while those on the losing side will receive $10,000. The game's MVP will take home an additional $5,000. Acrobat Red PandaAlonzo Adams-Imagn Images The Fever will be back in action on Thursday, facing A'ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces for the second time this season. It is unclear whether Clark will return or not. Related: Indiana Fever Veteran Makes Personal Admission About Caitlin Clark This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
ESPN Facing Backlash for Controversial Decision During Fever-Lynx Championship Game
ESPN Facing Backlash for Controversial Decision During Fever-Lynx Championship Game originally appeared on Athlon Sports. There's no denying that it's the Indiana Fever who are considered underdogs against the Minnesota Lynx in Tuesday's Commissioner's Cup final. Advertisement It's the 14-2 Lynx who currently have the best record in the WNBA and are defending their title in this winner-take-all clash. On top of that, the 8-8 Fever were placed at a major disadvantage after Caitlin Clark was ruled out of the game due to a lingering groin injury. Be that as it may, the Fever fought hard in this one, proving to the basketball world that they are fully capable of competing at the highest level even without their cornerstone superstar on the floor. ESPN, however, appears to have already determined the winner of the game even before the final buzzer. In fact, the network is adamant that the Lynx would "dominate" the Clark-less Fever in this one. ESPN is now facing backlash from the fans after a screenshot of a scheduled YouTube video circulated online while the game was still going on. What angered the fans is ESPN's decision to use a predetermined headline for the said video: "FULL REACTION: Lynx dominate Fever to win Commissioner's Cup | The Wrap Up." "It's common to have these graphics ready to go for after a game, but to have it published somewhere is nasty. Where'd this come from?" a comment on X read. Advertisement "Absolutely pathetic. Fever are up by 11," said another. "😡 What in the world? Shameful," declared a user. Star Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark watches from the bench amid her injury. Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images "That's ESPN… they stopped being a real voice in sports a long time ago," a reaction read. "How is this real? I CANNOT wait to hear the justification. Idiots. @espn," another said. "ESPN with the nasty work. 😳" wrote a viewer. The game has not officially ended as of writing. However, it's the Fever who are up, 63-51, with 3:55 remaining in the game. ESPN might just need to take down that video within the next few minutes. Related: Sophie Cunningham Turns Heads With Pregame Outfit for Fever-Lynx Related: Stephanie White, Fever Coaches Grab Attention With Caitlin Clark Gesture on Tuesday Related: Caitlin Clark Getting Praised for What She Did Before Fever-Lynx Game This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Caitlin Clark, Napheesa Collier named WNBA All-Star Game captains
The Indiana Fever and Minnesota Lynx are facing off Tuesday in the Commissioner's Cup Championship. And now, fittingly, each team's brightest star is captaining this year's All-Star Game. Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Lynx forward Napheesa Collier earned that distinction for the first time in their WNBA careers Sunday. Advertisement They did do by reeling in the most fan votes. Clark received 1,293,526 fan votes this year, and Collier wasn't too far behind with 1,176,020. The W adopted a captains format for the All-Star Game in 2018, ditching the traditional Eastern Conference vs. Western Conference model. But last year, as was the case in 2021, the league took a one-year break from naming captains and instead rolled out a Team WNBA vs. Team USA format ahead of the Summer Olympics. The All-Star Game's remaining eight starters will be announced Monday night during a segment of ESPN's "NBA Free Agency presented by ESPN BET Sportsbook" at 7 p.m. Advertisement WNBA players and a media panel joined fans in selecting the 10 All-Star starters, without regard to conference affiliation. Here's the breakdown: Fans accounted for 50% of the vote, WNBA players represented 25% and so did the chosen media panel. The four guards and six frontcourt players with the best "score" — made up by averaging the weighted rank from the fan, player and media votes — are the All-Star Game starters. The league's head coaches will select the 12 reserves, again regardless of conference affiliation, by submitting a ballot of three guards, five frontcourt players and four players of any position. Coaches may not vote for players on their own team, though. Advertisement The names of the reserves will be announced on July 6. Two days later, on July 8, Clark and Collier will draft their respective rosters, first picking from the remaining pool of starters and dipping into the collection of reserves. Clark has missed the last two games with a groin strain, but, when healthy, she's shown why she was last season's WNBA Rookie of the Year, and why she can be a game-changing sensation. The Iowa product, who also led All-Star fan voting in 2024, is averaging 18.2 points and a career-high 8.9 assists per game. She kicked off the season with a 20-10-10 triple-double, one of her four performances so far this year where she's netted at least four 3s. But she's missed seven games due to injury, the first five resulting from a left quad strain. Advertisement Although in contention for the Commissioner's Cup, Clark's Fever are just 8-8. Collier's Lynx, on the other hand, are off to a league-best 13-2 record. Collier, now a five-time All-Star, was runner-up for MVP last season and could very well claim the honor this time around. Despite missing two games with a back injury earlier this month, the 2024 Defensive Player of the Year returned to action on Friday and stuffed the stat sheet with 26 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 blocks. She's averaging a career-high 24.5 points per game and is on pace to win her first scoring title. Additionally, she's posting 8.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.5 assists per contest while shooting 51.7% from the field. The All-Star Game will be played on July 19 at the Fever's Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Caitlin Clark, Napheesa Collier named WNBA All-Star Game captains
The Indiana Fever and Minnesota Lynx are facing off Tuesday in the Commissioner's Cup Championship. And now, fittingly, each team's brightest star is captaining this year's All-Star Game. Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Lynx forward Napheesa Collier earned that distinction for the first time in their WNBA careers Sunday. Advertisement They did do by reeling in the most fan votes. Clark received 1,293,526 fan votes this year, and Collier wasn't too far behind with 1,176,020. The W adopted a captains format for the All-Star Game in 2018, ditching the traditional Eastern Conference vs. Western Conference model. But last year, as was the case in 2021, the league took a one-year break from naming captains and instead rolled out a Team WNBA vs. Team USA format ahead of the Summer Olympics. The All-Star Game's remaining eight starters will be announced Monday night during a segment of ESPN's "NBA Free Agency presented by ESPN BET Sportsbook" at 7 p.m. Advertisement WNBA players and a media panel joined fans in selecting the 10 All-Star starters, without regard to conference affiliation. Here's the breakdown: Fans accounted for 50% of the vote, WNBA players represented 25% and so did the chosen media panel. The four guards and six frontcourt players with the best "score" — made up by averaging the weighted rank from the fan, player and media votes — are the All-Star Game starters. The league's head coaches will select the 12 reserves, again regardless of conference affiliation, by submitting a ballot of three guards, five frontcourt players and four players of any position. Coaches may not vote for players on their own team, though. Advertisement The names of the reserves will be announced on July 6. Two days later, on July 8, Clark and Collier will draft their respective rosters, first picking from the remaining pool of starters and dipping into the collection of reserves. Clark has missed the last two games with a groin strain, but, when healthy, she's shown why she was last season's WNBA Rookie of the Year, and why she can be a game-changing sensation. The Iowa product, who also led All-Star fan voting in 2024, is averaging 18.2 points and a career-high 8.9 assists per game. She kicked off the season with a 20-10-10 triple-double, one of her four performances so far this year where she's netted at least four 3s. But she's missed seven games due to injury, the first five resulting from a left quad strain. Advertisement Although in contention for the Commissioner's Cup, Clark's Fever are just 8-8. Collier's Lynx, on the other hand, are off to a league-best 13-2 record. Collier, now a five-time All-Star, was runner-up for MVP last season and could very well claim the honor this time around. Despite missing two games with a back injury earlier this month, the 2024 Defensive Player of the Year returned to action on Friday and stuffed the stat sheet with 26 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 blocks. She's averaging a career-high 24.5 points per game and is on pace to win her first scoring title. Additionally, she's posting 8.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.5 assists per contest while shooting 51.7% from the field. The All-Star Game will be played on July 19 at the Fever's Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
