Caitlin Clark watched from the sidelines as the Indiana Fever defeated the Minnesota Lynx in the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup on Tuesday. She joined her teammates in celebrating the win, including jumping on an Instagram Live with teammate Sydney Colson.

On the stream, she jokingly made a plea with Colson’s girlfriend, Amadi Brooks. She asked her to allow Colson to have fun with the rest of her teammates.

“Let her have fun with the girls,” Clark said jokingly.

The Indiana Fever won 74-59 at the Target Center in Minneapolis. Clark was sidelined with a left groin strain, missing her third straight game. Fever coach Stephanie White emphasized a day-to-day approach to ensure that the reigning Rookie of the Year returns only when she’s fully fit.

“We still don’t know. It’s a day-to-day thing,” Coach White said. “Did some stuff at practice today, making sure we don’t have any setbacks. We got to be smart about this. We’ll evaluate tomorrow morning at shootaround.”

Despite sitting out, she was front and center in the locker room celebration. She lifted the trophy, sprayed champagne, joked with her teammates and delivered an energetic live-stream appearance.

In her absence, forward and Cup MVP Natasha Howard recorded 16 points, 12 rebounds and went 8/8 from the line. Aliyah Boston added 12 points, 11 rebounds and six assists.

Caitlin Clark hit out at WNBA bonus pay after Fever Commissioner’s Cup win

Caitlin Clark and her Fever teammate shared $500,000 in cash prize money after their win against the Lynx on Tuesday. She expressed her frustration about the WNBA’s bonus pay for league winners compared to its Cup winners while on Sydney Colson’s Instagram Live.

“We get more for [winning the Commissioner’s Cup] than you do if you’re a [WNBA] champion,” Caitlin Clark said. “Makes no sense! Someone tell [WNBA commissioner] Cathy [Engelbert] to help us out. Cathy, help us out!” per an X post from @clrkszn.

The pay structure in the WNBA is low compared to other leagues. Caitlin Clark, despite her popularity, is earning $78,066 per Spotrac. Players reportedly earn about $20,000 bonus for winning the league.

It is worth noting that the league’s current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is set to expire at the end of this season, and everyone in the WNBA can look forward to better compensation, championship or none.