The WNBA Commissioner’s Cup gets underway this week, as 15 teams will engage in a battle for in-season glory.
This cup provides in-season refreshment for the WNBA’s 15 clubs.
With the men’s postseason culminating in a Finals fracas between New York and San Antonio, the W is likewise getting involved in some early elimination action: the league is set to engage in the sixth edition of the Commissioner’s Cup.
Every game over the next 17 days exclusively features intraconference action as each team’s games in that span will produce a winner-take-all tilt to close things out. Parity has been the name of the game over the first half-decade: there have been five winners over the first five showings, with the Indiana Fever joining the fray after a 74-59 win over prior champion Minnesota last summer.
Team Charities
In addition to in-season glory, all 15 teams are also once again playing for a variety of charities, part of the event’s overarching theme of “Our Game, Our Legacy.” View the full list below …
- Atlanta Dream: The King Center
- Chicago Sky: Girls in the Game
- Connecticut Sun: United Way of Southeastern Connecticut
- Dallas Wings: Young Leaders, Strong City
- Golden State Valkyries: Youth UpRising
- Indiana Fever: Coburn Place
- Las Vegas Aces: Public Education Foundation
- Los Angeles Sparks: Brotherhood Crusade
- Minnesota Lynx: Women’s Foundation of Minnesota
- New York Liberty: African American Policy Forum
- Phoenix Mercury: Chicanos Por La Causa
- Portland Fire: Black Parent Initiative
- Seattle Storm: King County Library System Foundation
- Toronto Tempo: Lay-Up
- Washington Mystics: Ben’s Chili Bowl Foundation
“The Commissioner’s Cup in-season tournament has become a premier tentpole series on the WNBA calendar because it offers elite competition showcasing conference match ups, high-caliber play, and meaningful community impact,” WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a league statement. “As we celebrate the WNBA’s 30th season, ‘Our Game, Our Legacy’ shines a light on the organizations and community leaders – from longstanding team partners to groups helping our newest teams build roots in their communities – who have helped shape the identity and impact of WNBA teams over time. Together with Coinbase, the players and teams, the WNBA is proud to continue using the power of sport to create lasting impact beyond the game.”
With plenty of high-profile happenings set to tip off over the next two-plus weeks, BIL has five games that stand as the must-see of Commissioner’s Cup group play …
The @WNBA Commissioner’s Cup tips off tonight!
15 teams. One trophy.
See the full list of “Our Game, Our Legacy” charities for each team.
Who’s winning this year? pic.twitter.com/bm9eFXjyn0
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) June 1, 2026
June 3: Toronto Tempo at New York Liberty
(7:30 p.m. ET, USA)
On Wednesday night, New York City basketball engages in one of its most anticipated returns in years … also the Knicks partake in the NBA Finals.
Wednesday marks the first time that Tempo head coach Sandy Brondello descends upon Brooklyn since her metropolitan contract was not renewed after last season. Brooklyn Brondello posted historic numbers (a franchise-best 107 wins and the franchise’s first championship in 2024), but that wasn’t enough to secure a fifth swing in the Borough of Trees. She has since been succeeded by Chris DeMarco, who has found some footing after a meandering start brought about by early injuries and careless turnovers.
Armed with 2024 Finals heroine Nyara Sabally and overseeing the development of Kiki Rice, Brondello has flourished in True North peace, which has allowed her to focus on nurturing rather than the trophy-chasing that took over her previous work in New York and Phoenix. Repping the East in the CC final would be an emphatic landmark for either side: the value for a momentum-seeking expansion club like Toronto is self-explanatory, while New York (which has landed the favor of Commissioner’s Cup oddsmakers) can find early justification for the DeMarco endeavor that indirectly sent Brondello across the northern border.
June 4: Atlanta Dream at Indiana Fever
(7 p.m. ET, Prime Video)
So much has transpired in the past year since the last Commissioner’s Cup was awarded, so it’s easy to forget that the last title was earned by the Caitlin Clark-less Fever. It was a run that served as successful foreshadowing to Kelsey Mitchell‘s All-WNBA run, and it may have helped Natasha Howard land a sizable new contract in Minnesota.
Among the happenings, however, is the surfacing of the possibility that the Clark bubble may burst. Flashes of the Clark that captivated the basketball landscape and beyond have been prominently displayed (no team in their right mind would say no to her 8.1 assists and career-best 20.1 points), but lingering issues in the form of excessive turnovers and foul trouble have stifled continued progress. Frustration culminated in the form of Saturday’s animated encounter between Clark and head coach Stephanie White during a 100-84 loss to Portland, which dropped the Fever to .500.
Winning changes everything … that’s what helped the Fever overcome Clark’s medical woes last season. Everyone knows that Clark can handle the ball. Now it’s time to handle a trophy. The Dream likewise knows it can shrink its spotlight with a few wins in Cup play, and an appearance in the final would offer at least a quantum of solace for recent postseason disappointments.
June 9: Atlanta Dream at Chicago Sky
(7 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Even with no in-season glory on the line, the league’s television partners have every reason to buy into the latest matchup between the Dream and Sky.
Next Tuesday’s tussle will mark the first time that Angel Reese‘s sneakers will touch Windy City hardwood as a visitor after her blockbuster transfer to the Peach State served as a deafening debut to the WNBA’s speedy offseason. Reese’s entry has created a dreamy start for Atlanta, which continues to seek national redemption in the wake of last season’s early playoff exit. That makes the Dream one of the teams that will undeniably value a Commissioner’s Cup title, as the Rhyne Howard era is sorely lacking a banner despite her efforts in helping the franchise get back on track.
Success in Cup play would also loosen the collar of the Sky, which has fallen back to the Earth to the tune of four straight losses after a 3-1 start. Time will tell if having an old friend over for a nationally-televised dinner serves as the right antidote for this season’s swoon.
June 9: Dallas at Minnesota
(8 p.m. ET, KFAA/Victory+)
This won’t be the first meeting between the most recent top couple of picks: a 15-point, six-assist outing from runner-up Olivia Miles was one of several prevailing factors in a 90-86 win for Minnesota on May 14.
There’s been a slight shift in the ensuing two weeks. Top choice Azzi Fudd has started to find her professional footing and has flown into the Wings’ starting five. Dallas has also won four of five since that first get-together, a stretch that included a win over Las Vegas in Fudd’s first opening act.
Paige Buckets from DEEP
Lynx vs. Wings LIVE now on @primevideo pic.twitter.com/ei93F1oxhr
— Sports on Prime (@SportsonPrime) May 15, 2026
The Commissioner’s Cup is often a throat-clearing gesture for autumn action. Dallas, seeking to re-establish its postseason mettle, has a prime opportunity to earn its first form of team-based hardware in the Fudd/Paige Bueckers era. Getting revenge against the recurring contenders from Minneapolis, even in their Napheesa Collier-less state, would go a long way in establishing some form of victorious foundation.
June 11: Las Vegas at Portland
(10 p.m. ET, Rose City SportsNet/KMCC)
If the WNBA playoffs were decided like the NCAA Tournament, Portland might have benefited from some early bracketology.
A 6-4 start (the best 10-game tally for a WNBA newcomer since the 1998 Detroit Shock) hasn’t lacked the style points. The Fire has burned the Liberty twice and also blazed a one-sided triumph over the Fever after last weekend. Their tally also includes another easy-going output up north, as they took down the Toronto Tempo by a 99-80 final up north.
Granted this chance for a seismic statement, the Fire is another team that can benefit from whatever value an in-season tournament has to offer. Hosting the defending champion Aces would not only further legitimize their sterling start but also afford interior breakout Megan Gustafson (fresh off a perfect 8-of-8 outing in the aforementioned win over Indiana) a chance at revenge against her most recent WNBA employer.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on X @GeoffJMags
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