WNBA Commissioner's Cup

Last updated

WNBA Commissioner's Cup
Current season, competition or edition:
Basketball current event.svg 2024 WNBA Commissioner's Cup
WNBA Commissioner's Cup Logo.jpg
Sport Basketball
Founded2020
Organising body Women's National Basketball Association
No. of teams12
CountryUnited States of America
ContinentNorth America
Most recent
champion(s)		 Minnesota Lynx
(1st title)
Most titles Seattle Storm
Las Vegas Aces
New York Liberty
Minnesota Lynx (1 title)

The WNBA Commissioner's Cup, known for sponsorship reasons as the WNBA Commissioner's Cup Presented By Coinbase, is an in-season competition of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) that begins at the start of the regular season and continues throughout the first half of the season. The final is played between the top teams from the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference. A total of 60 regular-season contests involving all 12 teams count toward the Cup standings. [1]

Contents

The Commissioner's Cup was originally scheduled to begin in the 2020 WNBA season, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cup was first awarded in the 2021 season.

In October 2021, the WNBA announced that Coinbase had acquired the naming rights to the Cup starting with the 2022 tournament. [2]

Format

The Commissioner's Cup consists of regular-season games designated to count toward Cup play. The team from each conference with the top record in designated “Cup games” will then compete for the Commissioner's Cup title and a special prize pool. Beginning in 2024, Cup games are a series of home or road games against its five conference rivals. From 2021 to 2023, Cup games were the first home game and first road game each team plays against its five conference rivals. [3] The Cup restores the Eastern–Western Conference rivalry that WNBA used in its playoff tournament until the 2015 WNBA Playoffs.

The first Commissioner's Cup Final game was held at Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona. [4]

Prize

The total compensation tops out at $500,000, with the winning team making around $30,000 per player and the game's MVP taking home an additional $5,000. On the losing team's side, players earn $10,000 each. [5]

The winning team also receives the Commissioner's Cup Trophy.

History

YearWinnerResultRunner-upCup MVP
2021 Seattle Storm 79–57 [6] Connecticut Sun Breanna Stewart
2022 Las Vegas Aces 93–83 [7] Chicago Sky Chelsea Gray
2023 New York Liberty 82–63 [8] Las Vegas Aces Jonquel Jones
2024 Minnesota Lynx 94–89 [9] New York Liberty Napheesa Collier

Final appearances

Statistics for cumulative annual finals wins and losses, not Commissioner's Cup qualifying games:

FinalsTeamWinsLossesPct.Years WonYears Lost
1 Seattle Storm 101.0002021
1 Minnesota Lynx 101.0002024
2 Las Vegas Aces 11.50020222023
2 New York Liberty 11.50020232024
1 Connecticut Sun 01.0002021
1 Chicago Sky 01.0002022

Cup final records

This table shows a list of records through the history of the Commissioner's Cup final.

Cup records
MilestonePlayerTeamDateInformation
Points, individual Kelsey Plum
Breanna Stewart 		Las Vegas Aces
New York Liberty 		July 26, 2022
June 24, 2024		24 points
Rebounds, individual A'ja Wilson Las Vegas Aces July 26, 202217 rebounds
Assists, individual Courtney Vandersloot New York Liberty August 15, 202310 assists
Steals, individual Breanna Stewart Seattle Storm August 12, 20214 steals
Blocks, individual A'ja Wilson Las Vegas Aces July 26, 20226 blocks
Points, team— Minnesota Lynx June 25, 202494 points vs. New York
Rebounds, team— New York Liberty August 15, 202349 rebounds vs. Las Vegas
Assists, team— Minnesota Lynx June 25, 202426 assists vs. New York
Steals, team— Seattle Storm August 12, 202114 steals vs. Connecticut
Blocks, team— Las Vegas Aces July 26, 20229 blocks vs. Chicago
Career wins, coach Noelle Quinn
Becky Hammon
Sandy Brondello
Cheryl Reeve 		Seattle Storm
Las Vegas Aces
New York Liberty
Minnesota Lynx 		2021
2022
2023
2024		1 win
Margin of victory— Seattle Storm August 12, 202122-point win (79–57)
over Connecticut
Attendance, one game— Michelob Ultra Arena
Las Vegas Aces (Host City)		August 15, 20238,967

See also

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References

  1. ↑ Hansen, Mitchell. "WNBA COMMISSIONER'S CUP: WHAT IT IS, HOW IT WORKS, AND WHAT'S ON THE LINE". winsider.com. WInsider. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Coinbase & WNBA Announce Multiyear Partnership". WNBA.com (Press release). October 19, 2021. Retrieved May 7, 2022.
  3. ↑ "2020 WNBA Season to Feature Inaugural Commissioner's Cup, Expanded 36-Game Schedule for Teams and More ABC Games". Wnba.com. WNBA. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  4. ↑ "Mercury, Phoenix Suns Arena to host 1st WNBA Commissioner's Cup". arizonasports.com. Arizona Sports. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  5. ↑ Powell, Jackie. "What's at Stake in Groundbreaking WNBA Commissioner's Cup?". bleacherreport.com. Bleacher Report. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  6. ↑ "Connecticut vs. Seattle Boxscore". Wnba.com. WNBA. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  7. ↑ "Las Vegas vs. Chicago Boxscore". wnba.com. WNBA. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
  8. ↑ "New York Liberty vs. Las Vegas Aces Boxscore". wnba.com. WNBA. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  9. ↑ "Minnesota vs. New York Boxscore". wnba.com. WNBA. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
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