Indiana Fever’s Celebration Stuns Basketball Fans as Oklahoma City Thunder Fade Into Background

Caitlin Clark is not just the life of the party on the gridiron but off of it, too, it seems. After a Commissioner’s Cup 59-74 victory that saw the injury-laden Fever superstar stick to the sidelines as her teammates wreaked havoc on court, Clark made sure to compensate later. And believe us when we tell you that the result was a carousel of viral moments spearheaded by a never-seen-before version of the University of Iowa alum.

More so because it wasn’t just about the win. It was about proving that a Clark-less Fever is just as strong. It was about proving that Stephanie White has been doing something right. And boy, did Indiana validate that statement at every juncture. Natasha Howard dropped an MVP-worthy performance, scoring 16 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and two steals to lead the team from the front and complete the comeback. The Lynx’s 59 points were their fewest of this season, along with their 34.9% mark from the field turning out to be a season-low.

The most telling evidence, though, was how Howard’s team limited Napheesa Collier, forcing her into five (of 16 team total) turnovers in a season-worst outing. In simple words: It was a complete team performance by the Fever. What happened in the locker room afterward was a whole another story, though…

It all began with a viral X post where Caitlin Clark, ever the quiet force of nature, appeared on a video shotgunning a beer amid hoots of “Chug! Chug! Chug!” before she slammed the can on the ground. In several other posts on the WNBA’s official Instagram page, Clark appeared as energetic as ever, even surprising Sydney Colson with a champagne shower along with the squad. In another instance, the 23-year-old also used the Commissioner’s Cup as a beer holder, helping her peers sip from it. The most wholesome moment came when Clark went on to double-check whether rookie Makyala Timpson was of legal age, before helping her as well.

So, clearly, the energy was electric, and the fans felt it, too. One user even tweeted, “the videos of the Fever celebrating the Commissioner’s Cup are wayyyy more fun than the Thunder winning the chip. lol.” But don’t think it was only fun and games as Clark even made sure to slip in a sly dig toward the league.

In an Instagram Live video by Aaliyah Boston where the Fevers were seen celebrating, Clark said from out of the shot, “Guys, I just know everybody in the league is sick.” Her teammates immediately responded, saying, “They’re p—ed.” In another tweet captioned, “cathy catching strays 😭,” the screen recording from another Live showed Clark telling the camera, “You get more (money) for this than you do if you’re the (WNBA Finals) champion. It makes no sense. Someone tell [WNBA commissioner] Cathy [Engelbert] to help us out.”

As per reports, WNBA champions seemingly earn $20,000 extra, whereas in-season tournament wins lead to $30,000 per player. No wonder Clark’s ticked off.

But whatever the case, social media users were loving every bit of it.

Fans react to the Indiana Fever celebrations after the win

Those scenes inside the visitors’ locker room of the Target Center were certainly a sight to behold. “It’s fun,” Lexie Hull said of the celebration. “We worked really hard to get here, and I’m happy we’re able to celebrate that win together in a room like that.” And you could tell that just by looking at the celebrations.

“A group of young women in their primes, being care-free and celebrating a hard-fought win and a bag of prize money! One thing about confident women….. WE SHINE and it’s glorious to behold✨✨” one fan commented by looking at their celebrations. The Fever was more than ready for the party. The locker room was draped in a clear tarp, and it had everything you could possibly need for a party!

From buckets of Champagne to buckets of Nutrl vodka seltzers, it had all! Champagne bottles were popped one after the other, and vodka seltzers were chugged from the Commissioner’s Cup itself. But when the OKC Thunder won their championship, fans felt the celebrations didn’t quite hit the same note. “Yep, said the same thing last night. Fever knew how to celebrate whereas OKC was subdued,” while another joined in to say, “Thunder was trying too hard to be nonchalant and chill.” 

Of course, you can’t exactly chug anything from the Larry O’Brien trophy, but the Thunder’s post–Game 7 celebration did feel a bit down. And honestly? They weren’t wrong. Per The Athletic’s Marcus Thompson, the Thunder’s locker room celebration was “the most tempered” he had ever seen. From the start, it was clear the guys were a little… inexperienced when it came to post-championship shenanigans. Isaiah Hartenstein even said after the game that team vet Alex Caruso had to literally show the younger players how to open their champagne bottles. Talk about a first-timer moment!

Perhaps it had a lot to do with the fact that their locker room was already filled with so many journalists and cameramen, the players barely had any room to celebrate.

That said, not everyone saw it as a negative. One fan came to OKC’s defense, saying, “They’re smart enough to keep cameras out of a good time. You can have more fun when no one is looking. I’m certainly not gonna party in a damn locker room lol.”

But what do you think? Do you prefer the wild, public celebrations of the Indiana Fever or the private ones shared just between teammates like the OKC? Let us know in the comments!