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Indiana Fever star Natasha Howard was named the MVP of the in-season tournament final after they pulled off an upset against the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday to win the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup. Howard put up 16 points, 12 rebounds and four assists to lead Indiana, which played without franchise cornerstone Caitlin Clark.
Howard's wife, Jac’Eil Duckworth Howard, congratulated the Fever forward, praising her Commissioner’s Cup accolade.
“When you continue to put GOD first, everything falls in place,” she wrote on her Instagram story. “I’m proud of you, baby.”
Jac’Eil has been an ardent supporter of the Fever since Natasha Howard moved to Indiana last offseason. The two got married last year and their wedding was aired on the 11th season of Basketball Wives.
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The 33-year-old WNBA star started her career with the Fever in 2014, before signing again last year after two seasons with the Dallas Wings. She also played with the New York Liberty, Seattle Storm and the Minnesota Lynx.
This year, Howard, who was a former Defensive Player of the Year, is averaging 11.2 ppg and 6.5 rpg, helping the youthful core of the Fever.
The Fever is currently in the eighth spot in the league standings with an 8-8 record as they deal with injuries, headlined by Caitlin Clark’s groin problem, which caused her to miss the past three games.
Natasha Howard got candid about playing Fever’s balanced offense in Commissioner’s Cup title win
Natasha Howard was the top player to step up for the Fever en route to the in-season tournament title, but four other players also scored double digits to pull it off.
In the post-game press conference, Howard got candid on the team’s balanced outputs to upset the Lynx.
“I couldn’t do it by myself. I have my teammates to do it behind me, helping me out as well. For offense, I just ran with what the defenders were giving me. My teammates were finding me at the right spots at the right time,” she said. (From 1:15)
Sophie Cunningham had 13 points, while Aliyah Boston, Kelsey Mitchell and Aari McDonald had 12 points apiece to help Howard.
With the win, they also prevented the Lynx from winning back-to-back in-season tournament titles after bagging the 2024 iteration.
