Indiana Fever win the WNBA Commissioners Cup over the Minnesota Lynx The Indiana Fever (8-8) lifted their first-ever Commissioner’s Cup trophy with 74-59 victory on the road over the Minnesota Lynx, resulting in a $500,000 prize and $23,000 total donation for the team’s beneficiary, Peace Learning Center. Forward Natasha Howard was named the game’s Most Valuable Player following a game-leading 16-point performance, coupled with 12 rebounds, to lead the Fever to victory. At the end of the first quarter the Fever trailed the Lynx 20-12 with all Indiana’s points coming from the backcourt, including five points from Aari McDonald. However, the Fever limited Minnesota to just seven points in the second quarter and went on an 18-0 run over the final 7:54 of the half, completely erasing the deficit and giving their side a 32-27 lead heading into the halftime break. Howard’s 10-point third quarter helped Indiana extend its lead to double digits, leading 52-42 through three. The Fever held their lead throughout the fourth quarter, with Aliyah Boston adding six points and Sophie Cunningham adding an additional five points in the final 10 minutes en route to Indiana’s victory. The Fever finished with five players in double-digit scoring, including Howard (16), Cunningham (13), Boston (12), McDonald (12) and Kelsey Mitchell (12). The trio of Howard, Boston and Cunningham grabbed 30 of the Fever’s 40 rebounds, the same amount the entire Lynx side totaled on the night.
The win marked the Fever’s first-ever Commissioner’s Cup trophy, coming in the team’s first appearance in the final. The trophy is the Fever’s first trophy since the team won the 2012 WNBA Championship. Natasha Howard earned a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds, the 58th of her career and third of the season, across all competitions. Aliyah Boston earned a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds, the 34th of her career and eighth of the season, across all competitions. Kelsey Mitchell finished the night with 12 points, extending her double-digit scoring streak to 17 games, across all competitions, posting 10+ points in every game so far this season. Natasha Howard earned 2025 Commissioner’s Cup Most Valuable Player (MVP). The Indiana Fever return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse to begin a five-game homestand, starting against the Las Vegas Aces tonight at 7 pm. The game will be aired nationally on Prime Video and locally on WTHR.
Indiana University’s D’Angelo Ponds named a Walter Camp First Team Preseason All-American The 136th edition of the Walter Camp Preseason All-America teams were announced on Tuesday, with three Indiana Hoosiers making the grade on the nation’s oldest team. Defensive back D’Angelo Ponds, a 5-foot-9 junior from Miami who transferred to Indiana from James Madison last year along with coach Curt Cignetti, was named to the Walter Camp first team. Caleb Downs of Ohio State, Leonard Moore of Notre Dame and Jermod McCoy of Tennessee were the other first-team selections in the secondary. Indiana wide receiver Elijah Sarratt and defensive lineman Mikhail Kamara were second-team selections. They also transferred to Indiana from James Madison last season. All three All-America selections played a big role in Indiana’s record-setting 11-1 regular season a year ago, where they finished second in the Big Ten and earned a spot in the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff. They lost to Notre Dame 27-17 in South Bend on Dec. 20. Indiana reports to fall camp at the end of the month. Their first game is Aug. 30 against OId Dominion at Memorial Stadium.
Bloomington South Graduate and Taylor University Senior Mason David named a CSC Academic All-American for NAIA Baseball Bloomington South Graduate and Taylor University Baseball’s Mason David along with Kaleb Kolpien and Jake Boyer were all named to 2025 Academic All-America baseball teams on Tuesday, as selected by College Sports Communicators. Outgoing seniors David and Kolpien both were part of 11 NAIA First-Team Academic All-Americans, while Boyer was named to the Second Team. Taylor led all NAIA baseball programs with three representatives among the 22 total Academic All-Americans. David, who made a second consecutive appearance on the First Team Academic All-America list, graduated with a 3.99 GPA as a biology major. On the diamond, David followed up his 2024 All-American and Crossroads League Player of the Year campaign with an even better season at the plate, batting .367 with 81 hits, 12 homers, 55 RBIs and scoring a school-record 79 runs. He finishes his career as a three-time All-Crossroads League honoree and as the program’s all-time leader in runs scored.
Kolpien returned to CSC Academic All-America status after being named to the Second Team in 2023. The 2025 Second-Team NAIA All-American produced his finest season in leading the Trojans to a fourth straight NAIA Opening Round appearance, tying his own program record of 98 hits while becoming the only Trojan ever to surpass 300 career hits. Kolpien, who finalized his management studies with a 3.72 GPA, garnered the title of Crossroads League Player of the Year in 2025 after leading the league in hits, batting average and RBIs, and finishing second in extra-base knocks with 15 doubles and 15 homers. Taylor student-athletes have combined for an NAIA-best 145 CSC Academic All-American honors in school history, with 143 of those awards coming since 2010. Of those 143 honors, 68 are of the First-Team variety. The 2024-2025 year has seen Taylor athletics pick up six total Academic All-American selections.
The TU baseball program has accounted for 20 Academic All-Americans all-time, including nine First-Team selections. The trio of honorees from 2025 ties the most Taylor baseball has had in a single season, a mark it also achieved in 2018. The CSC Academic All-America distinction is designed to recognize student-athletes for outstanding achievements in the classroom and on the diamond. To receive the honor, an athlete must have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.50 or higher on a 4.0 scale, must have achieved sophomore status academically and must have played in 90 percent of his team’s games, made 66 percent of starts or, for pitchers, thrown 25-plus innings or made 17 appearances. Student-athletes are nominated for the award by their institution’s Sports Information Department and voted on by CSC members.
Former Indiana University Men’s Basketball Star Eric Gordon Re-Signs with the Philadelphia 76ers for his 18th NBA Season The Philadelphia 76ers announced Tuesday evening via release the team has re-signed former IU basketball one-and-done star Eric Gordon. It’s a one-year, veteran’s minimum deal worth $3.6M, Sixers beat reporter Derek Bodner notes. Gordon, who originally signed with the 76ers on July 10, 2024, averaged 6.8 points and shot 40.9-percent from beyond the arc (42.6% FG, 75.0% FT) to go along with 1.2 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 39 games (13 starts) last season. Gordon reached double-digit scoring on 14 occasions in 2024-25, 11 of which came in January. He averaged 9.8 points on 52.0-percent shooting (52.6% 3FG) while playing in each of Philadelphia’s 17 games that month. The Indiana native’s 40.9-percent shooting from three-point range last season represented the fourth-highest mark of his decorated career. He drained at least three triples in 12 games last season, including a 4-for-4 shooting night from deep, to match his high scoring mark for the season against Cleveland on Jan. 24 (15 points). Gordon’s 2,084 career three-pointers currently rank 10th among active NBA players. Gordon underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right wrist in February.
A member of the Bahamian National Team at the 2024 Olympic Qualifying Tournament, Gordon reached the 15-point mark in two of the team’s four games, averaging 14.0 points on 43.9-percent shooting (43.5% 3FG), 2.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in FIBA competition. Drafted by the LA Clippers with the seventh overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, Gordon holds career averages of 15.3 points (43.0 FG%, 37.2 3FG%, 81.0 FT%), 2.3 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in 925 career games (665 starts) across 17 NBA seasons between the Clippers, New Orleans, Houston, Phoenix, and Philadelphia. Gordon is one of seven active NBA players to make 2,000 three-pointers while shooting at least 37.0-percent average from behind the arc. Gordon was an early entry candidate for the 2008 NBA Draft following his freshman season at Indiana. As a freshman for the Hoosiers, Gordon averaged 20.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. He set the Hoosiers and conference all-time record for scoring as a freshman with 669 points and was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year and First Team All-Big Ten. Gordon earned Second Team All-America honors from the National Association of Basketball Coaches and Third Team distinction from The Associated Press.
Ball State Women’s and Men’s Basketball Teams learn their opponents for the MAC-SBC Challenge in November First-round pairings for the third installment of the MAC-SBC Challenge have been announced by the Mid-American and Sun Belt Conferences, with Ball State men’s and women’s basketball teams each receiving assignments for first-round games that take place Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. The Ball State men, entering their fourth season under head coach Michael Lewis, host Louisiana in a home game at Worthen Arena. The Ragin’ Cajuns finished 11th in the Sun Belt in 2024-25 (12-21/8-10 SBC). The Cardinals were ninth in the MAC (14-17/7-11 MAC). The Ball State women, defending champions of the MAC under the guidance of 14th-year head coach Brady Sallee, draw a road matchup with Arkansas State, who finished second in the Sun Belt last season (21-11/15-3 SBC). The regular season and tournament-champion Cardinal’s head to Jonesboro, Arkansas, after finishing 27-8 overall, 16-2 in the MAC. The MAC-SBC Challenge matches programs in each conference with similar records. Initiated prior to the 2023-24 season, the MAC-SBC Challenge includes a first-round game early in each team’s schedule, then a second date in the middle of the conference schedule.
Tri-West Quarterback Jack Sorgi Commits to the University of Louisville Tri-West’s junior quarterback Jack Sorgi has announced where he plans to play football after his graduation in 2027. Jack, the son of former Colts quarterback Jim Sorgi, announced Thursday, June 26, he has committed to play football for the Louisville Cardinals under head coach Jeff Brohm. “Grateful to announce my commitment to the University of Louisville. Thank you to my parents, coaches and family for all the support,” Sorgi wrote on social media. Last season, Sorgi played in 13 games for the Bruins and threw for over 1,700 yards and 19 touchdowns. He completed nearly 60% of his passes, threw only four interceptions all season and posted a quarterback rating of 110.5, according to MaxPreps. Sorgi also played in four varsity games his freshman year, completing 4 out of 6 passes for 39 yards.