Natasha Howard received praise from her teammates.
Indiana Fever Star Earns Praise From Teammates During Practice on Saturday originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Indiana Fever take on the Los Angeles Sparks on Saturday inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
During practice on Saturday morning, the Fever players competed against each other in a half-court shot contest that was posted on the team’s X account. Ultimately, forward Natasha Howard beat out her teammates by sinking a deep shot that earned her praise.
“MVP! MVP!” the Fever players cheered after watching Howard drain her long-range shot. Howard’s moment during practice comes as she helped Indiana win the Commissioner’s Cup on Tuesday by defeating the Minnesota Lynx 74-59, as All-Star guard Caitlin Clark was sidelined with a groin injury.
"MVP! MVP!"
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) July 5, 2025
Natasha Howard is today's halfcourt shot contest winner 🤩 pic.twitter.com/w3UNjVBQUX
Without Clark, Howard led the team by scoring 16 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. That performance earned her the game’s MVP award and a $5,000 bonus.
Meanwhile, the Fever received $500,000 for winning the Commissioner’s Cup, which should net each player around $30,000.
The Fever also picked up their ninth win of the season on Thursday by defeating the Las Vegas Aces, 81-54. Howard scored 11 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the win.
Clark will miss her fifth consecutive game on Saturday as she still hasn’t fully recovered from a groin injury, according to a USA Today report. However, Fever head coach Stephanie White said they’re working on having Clark ready to start playing again soon.
“We went through semi-live shooting drills, but she hasn’t gone full speed in a practice or a live defensive group,” White told reporters on Friday. “She’s been getting some 3-on-3 work on her own.”
Saturday's game against the Sparks is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on NBA TV.
Related: Ranking the 25 Best WNBA Players of All Time
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Basketball
