Commissioners‘ Cup championship recreation set with ‚outdated mates‘ New York and Las Vegas assembly at Barclays Heart June 30
Chalk up a victory for the followers, because the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup championship recreation will pit the defending champion Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty.
It marks the second time in 4 seasons the league powerhouses will battle for the in-season event title and a $500,000 prize pool.
„Folks need to see New York versus Vegas, so I believe it’s good for the followers,“ Aces coach Becky Hammon stated after her staff clinched its spot within the contest with an 86-76 win over the Phoenix Mercury on Wednesday night time.
It is each groups‘ third journey to the Cup championship recreation.
The Aces received the title in 2022 with a victory over the Chicago Sky, after which misplaced to the Liberty within the 2023 championship. New York then misplaced to the Minnesota Lynx in 2024. The 2023 and 2024 Cup championships turned out to be previews of the WNBA Finals, with the identical groups ending up enjoying for the title within the postseason.
And because the Commissioner’s Cup debuted in 2021, one or each groups have gone to play for the WNBA championship 3 times.
„We want to suppose that approach, clearly,“ Liberty heart Jonquel Jones stated. „However I believe, clearly, we nonetheless have quite a lot of development, quite a lot of areas we are able to develop as a staff.
„It’s a reasonably excessive quantity with groups that go to the Commissioner’s Cup championship, groups that play within the (WNBA) finals. I believe it is a good place to start out.“
SO WE MEET AGAIN
The Aces and Liberty are slowly changing into the equal of the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics, with a perennial Western Convention favourite assembly a perennial Jap Convention favourite.
The Liberty have received 5 straight regular-season dwelling video games towards the Aces because the 2023 season. They’re 21-12 all-time in New York when internet hosting the Aces franchise, from their days in Salt Lake Metropolis, San Antonio and Las Vegas.
„Barclays has been a troublesome place for us to play the previous few years, so it’s going to be an ideal battle,“ Hammon stated. „New York’s enjoying rather well proper now.“
The Aces have 4 video games to kind out what’s change into an issue on the defensive finish of the ground. Whereas they might have simply held the Mercury to 76 factors, the defending champs have allowed 91 or extra in seven of their 15 video games. They’re giving up 86.5 factors per contest, eighth highest within the league.
Now they’re approaching the Cup conflict towards a Liberty staff that’s at the moment scoring the league’s fourth-highest 88.9 factors per recreation whereas permitting 82.3 ppg., additionally fourth finest within the W.
Regardless of their defensive inconsistencies, Wilson stated the Aces really feel as in the event that they’re in a greater scenario than they had been final season after the primary 15 video games.
True, they’ve a constructive margin this season, however whereas the Aces had been 7-8 and scoring simply 80.6 ppg. at this level in 2025, they had been permitting 82.0, which is 4.5 lower than they’re yielding this season.
„We didn’t even give ourselves an opportunity final season, so it is sort of good for us to have an opportunity to compete for a championship halfway by the season,“ Wilson stated. „It’s going to be powerful, however I believe it additionally units us (up) for October. It units us (up) for August, after we actually must buckle in.“
THE STAGE IS SET 🏆
The @nyliberty and @lvaces are headed to the 2026 WNBA Commissioner’s Cup Championship offered by @coinbase.
Who’s taking dwelling the crown? 👑
📺 Watch LIVE June 30 on Prime pic.twitter.com/t9eL5iERSd
— WNBA (@WNBA) June 18, 2026
MEANWHILE, AT THE BOOK
WNBA Odds For June 30, 2026
Listed here are the chances for the Commissioner’s Cup (odds by way of FanDuel):
Las Vegas Aces at New York Liberty
Unfold: Las Vegas +3.5 (-106) | New York Liberty -3.5 (-114)
Moneyline: Las Vegas (+130) | New York Liberty (-160)
Whole: O/U 171.5 (-110/-110)
Whether or not it has been within the common season or the playoffs, the Liberty have received eight of the final 10 conferences. Relationship again to the 2023 common season, the Liberty have received eight of the final 9 conferences within the Empire State.
And because the begin of the 2023 marketing campaign, when Breanna Stewart bolted Seattle for New York, and her battles with A’ja Wilson have change into one of the vital anticipated within the WNBA, the common whole is 163.8 factors per assembly. And after they meet in Brooklyn, that tally dips to 161.6 factors per contest.
Talking of Wilson, in case you are on the lookout for a participant prop, her profession averages towards the Liberty are 18.8 factors and eight.0 rebounds. And since Stewie arrived, Wilson’s factors dip barely to 18.2 ppg., whereas her rebounds spike to 9.1. Flipside, since becoming a member of the Liberty, Stewart is averaging 18.3 ppg. and eight.3 rpg.
The sleeper to look at on this showdown will probably be Jones, who’s averaging 13.7 ppg. and 9.7 rpg. towards the Aces since coming to New York in 2023.
„Clearly, New York is rockin‘ and rollin‘ doing what they’re doing,“ Wilson added. „It needs to be good, it needs to be enjoyable.“
MORE THAN A GAME
The successful staff makes roughly $30,000 per participant, whereas the sport’s MVP earns a further $5,000. Gamers from the dropping staff take dwelling $10,000 every.
There’s additionally a charity donation pool price greater than $200,000 at stake. Successful groups earned $3,000 for a neighborhood group of their selection, whereas dropping groups earned $1,000 for every Commissioner’s Cup recreation throughout the event. The Cup winner’s charity earns a further $10,000 donation, whereas $5,000 goes to the runner-up’s group.
The Aces are enjoying for the Public Training Basis, whereas the Liberty are enjoying for the African American Coverage Discussion board.
„It’s nice after we can provide again not solely to those gamers however the charities that every staff is enjoying is for,“ Hammon stated. „Barclays is gonna be rockin‘. I do know that.“
Added Jones: „I believe anytime you are enjoying for greater than your self, it sort of actually lets you go on the market and have that further effort. It is not nearly us and the cash that we’re successful, it is also concerning the group and the way in which that they are impacting the group.“
