Cecilia Zandalasini leads Fever past Dream in 83-71 Cup win
cecilia zandalasini helped the Indiana Fever open their 2025 Commissioner’s Cup title defense with an 83-71 win over the Atlanta Dream on Thursday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The result came after a rare five-day break, during which Indiana addressed a heated sideline exchange, a lengthy team meeting and early-season defensive problems.
Caitlin Clark delivered 17 points, eight assists and seven rebounds in 31 minutes despite going 6 of 17 from the field and 2 of 8 from 3-point range. Clark also vomited at halftime, then returned to help Indiana close the game, while Atlanta shot 34% from the field, 29% on 3s, committed 11 turnovers and lost the rebounding battle 35-30.
Indiana Fever reset after Portland
The week leading into the game centered on a meeting Monday after the events at Portland. Clark said, “I think a lot of self-reflection from everybody (this week), like look yourself in the mirror and find ways to get better. That’s certainly what I did.” She also answered a question about how she was by saying, “What do you mean? I’m great.”
Stephanie White said Clark’s effort helped steady Indiana when the game tightened. White said, “She was gassed, she was making plays on both ends and she was doing a great job.” White added, “She was running the team and, you know, when you lay it all on the line, you get gassed.”
Gainbridge Fieldhouse third quarter
Indiana entered the night allowing 89 points per game, third most in the league, and used a 16-3 third-quarter run to take control. That stretch gave the Fever a cleaner path through the final period, after a first half shaped by the defensive issues they had discussed during the break.
The atmosphere also tracked the stakes around the matchup. Clark drew loud cheers during player introductions at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, while Angel Reese received boos. Indiana later said after the win, “The way we played as a team was great, and we’ve got to keep doing that,” and Clark added, “This group is connected.”
Commissioner’s Cup title defense
Clark said the week’s internal review mattered, but she did not frame Thursday as a finished product. “We hadn’t been playing our best basketball, and even though we played it for one game tonight that doesn’t mean we are where we want to be,” she said. “But it also shows what we’re capable of and what we can do, and I think it spoke a lot to the character of the people we have on the team.”
For Indiana, the immediate challenge is repeating the same level of execution after the five-day break and the reset that preceded it. The Fever turned one strong quarter and a sharper defensive effort into a Cup-opening win, and the standard they set on Thursday now sits in front of the group as the title defense continues.
