In a loud atmosphere at Target Center on July 1, Aliyah Boston and the Indiana Fever delivered a statement 74-59 victory over the Minnesota Lynx. Battling on the road against the league’s top team and doing so without All‑Star guard Caitlin Clark (out with a groin injury), Boston’s two‑way prowess was on full display.
But it was Boston’s Instagram Story that delighted fans as she celebrated her teammate Natasha Howard being named the 2025 WNBA Commissioner’s Cup MVP.
Aliyah Boston Bursts With Cheers for MVP Natasha Howard After Fever’s Cup Clinch
A few hours after Fever’s win, Boston celebrated Howard’s MVP performance via her Instagram Story, sending out a simple yet profound two‑word message: “So Deserving.” The former reshared Indiana Fever’s official Instagram post, capturing her genuine respect for Howard’s leadership and dominance on the court.
The Fever’s official social channels confirmed exactly why Howard earned that praise. She was voted the unanimous Commissioner’s Cup MVP. In a team‑produced X clip shared moments after the game, Indiana’s social team declared, “MVP. Natasha Howard is our UNANIMOUS Commissioner’s Cup MVP.”
On the hardwood, Howard carried the load with a 16‑point, 12‑rebound, 4‑assist stat line, setting the tone from the tip. The veteran forward is in her first season with Indiana after signing as a free agent in early 2025.
Across 16 games this season, the three-time WNBA Champion averaged 11.2 points and 6.5 rebounds in the Indiana Fever jersey. Howard held down Minnesota with her on-court dominance and led her team to victory despite Clark’s absence.
Meanwhile, Indiana’s defensive lockdown was particularly impressive in the second quarter, when the Fever held the Lynx at 20-7 before halftime. The Fever never let go of the lead and scored 20-15 in the third and 22-17 in the final quarter.
MVP STATUS 🏆
Natasha Howard led the @indianafever with 16 PTS, 12 REB, 4 AST to claim the 2025 WNBA Commissioner’s Cup presented by @coinbase Championship! pic.twitter.com/M7P9TaI4hg
— WNBA (@WNBA) July 2, 2025
Lynx’s Napheesa Collier was limited to just 12 points on 6‑of‑18 shooting, well below her average of 24.4 points per game this season. However, Alanna Smith scored 15 points on 3-of-7 from the three-point line, and Courtney Williams added 11 points. But it wasn’t enough to push Minnesota and flip the scoreboard to their favor.
Later, Boston lauded Howard and her squad’s resilience postgame. “It feels great. We knew we had to come out here with energy,” she said.
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The No. 1 overall pick of the 2023 draft tallied a near triple‑double, finishing with 12 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 assists.
The Commissioner’s Cup, now in its fifth year, awards a $500,000 prize pool shared among victorious team members, plus an in‑season championship trophy. Indiana’s triumph marks its first Cup title. It comes 13 years after the Fever’s 2012 WNBA Championship, which they aim to duplicate this season.
Now, Indiana will carry the momentum of this victory into the remaining regular‑season games. The Fever will clash with the Las Vegas Aces on July 3 and the Los Angeles Sparks on July 5 at Gainbridge.
