The Minnesota Lynx are on their redemption arc. They are coming off a heartbreaking loss in Game 5 of the 2024 WNBA Finals against the New York Liberty, where the Lynx were mere seconds shy of the league crown. The Lynx had a dominating season, and according to many, deserved to win that title, but ideation and reality are two different things. The fact is, the Lynx failed when it mattered the most. They did win the newly started Commissioners’ Cup earlier last year, beating the same team in the finals to at least end with a trophy to show for.
Now they are in the finals once again, this time they are facing the Indiana Fever, the new kids on the big girl table. Fever has had a rollercoaster of a season, but they did well when it mattered in the Commissioners Cup and earned their spot against one of the best. Caitlin Clark and Co. have been phenomenal in this competition, beating the likes of New York Liberty and Washington Mystics on their way to the finals.
They did have Clark absent for the majority of this competition, but she was back for the important moments, as her 32-point and 7-assist showcase against the Liberty even brought Breanna Stewart to disbelief. Clark almost single-handedly beat the New York Liberty. The defending champions still haven’t recovered from the events of that night, as that loss triggered a string of losses. While they have lost Caitlin Clark to a groin injury and the timeline for her return is uncertain, she could still return for the final, as her injury is considered day-to-day. The Commissioner’s Cup title game will be held on Tuesday, July 1. Let’s learn how this 2021-born competition works.
Breaking down the Commissioner’s Cup format and Point System
The Commissioner’s Cup adds a thrilling twist to the WNBA regular season by transforming early conference matchups into high-stakes showdowns. Each Eastern Conference team competes in five designated cup games, while Western Conference teams play six due to the addition of the Golden State Valkyries, expanding the competition in the West.
Jun 29, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Valkyries guard Veronica Burton (22) reacts after missing a shot while being fouled against the Seattle Storm during the third quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
This year’s tournament runs from June 1 to June 17, 2025, excluding the final, and features 36 total Cup games. Eastern teams will play either three home and two away games or two home and three away games. Western teams are scheduled for an even split with three home and three away matchups, intensifying the battle for conference supremacy and a spot in the championship game. The team with more wins ends up at the top. In case of a tie, average points differential is counted towards who is ahead, after which it will come down to head-to-head record, and then a coin flip if both are the same. For the 2025 season, the Minnesota Lynx are ahead with a 5-1 record to the Fever’s 4-1.
Home-court advantage for the Commissioner’s Cup Championship is awarded to the conference winner with the higher overall winning percentage across all games played through the final night of Cup play. If both teams are tied in winning percentage, a tiebreaker process kicks in to decide the host. This system ensures that consistent performance and not just Cup wins can tip the scale when it comes to securing home court in the showdown.
How do teams qualify, and what is up for grabs in the in-season tournament?
These games double as regular-season contests but come with added weight. The top team from each conference, determined by Cup standings and tiebreakers if needed, earns a shot at the Cup title in a standalone championship showdown. It’s a midseason clash with real consequences, where every possession counts twice. The two best teams with the best record in the tournament in each conference will clash in the Championship game on Tuesday, July 1, 2025, which in this case are the Indiana Fever and the Minnesota Lynx.
As for the prize money, the winners of the Commissioner’s Cup will receive a prize pool of $500,000, with Coinbase contributing an additional $120,000 in cryptocurrency. Each player in the championship game will receive $5,000 in crypto as part of this bonus. Beyond the court, the tournament makes a meaningful impact on the community. Each team partners with a local charitable organization, and every Commissioner’s Cup victory brings additional funding to these nonprofits.
WNBA, Basketball Damen, USA Commissioner s Cup-Championship Game-Chicago Sky at Las Vegas Aces, Jul 26, 2022 Chicago, IL, USA Las Vegas Aces teammates react after they won the Commissioners Cup-Championships after they beat the Chicago Sky 93-83, at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports, 26.07.2022 21:48:52, 18749829, NPStrans, Chicago Sky, wow, WNBA, TopPic PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xMattxMartonx 18749829
Each Commissioner’s Cup game carries not only competitive stakes but also meaningful community impact. For every Cup game played, the winning team earns a $3,000 donation for its selected local nonprofit organization, while the losing team secures a $1,000 donation for its chosen cause. At the conclusion of the tournament, the champion’s nonprofit partner receives an additional $10,000 donation, while the runner-up’s partner receives $5,000. All donations, provided as part of the Cup’s collaboration with Coinbase, are presented to the organizations after the Championship Game. This philanthropic component ensures that every game contributes to something bigger than basketball, reinforcing the WNBA’s commitment to social impact alongside elite competition.
How is the Commissioner’s Cup different from the Regular Season?
The Commissioner’s Cup is a part of the regular season, adding a unique flair to the intra-conference rivalries. It started to ignite more stiff competition among the teams of the same conference. It is played in a burst over a few days, while a regular season is played over months. It just has a single game to decide the winner, while the season has a playoff system where you can finish anywhere among the top and still have a shot at the title. While in the Commissioners Cup, the teams have to finish right at the top of the conference to qualify for the finals. This competition does not give second chances. The team that is better on the day takes home the trophy.
While there have been some complaints from the players regarding the added games on the schedule, this is the way the competition will grow. WNBA was the first to start an in-season tournament, even before their big brothers, the NBA, who started the NBA Cup in 2023. And the players relish the thought of being the first movers, as Jonquel Jones said before the first edition, “I like the Commissioner’s Cup. It’s funny because I feel like in our league we do things first, and then you see things on ESPN about how the NBA is thinking about doing an in-season tournament, and I’m like, ‘Been there, done that.’ We are always the first to do things, and other leagues do it after that, and I like that we are always the first to bring things up.”
The Commissioners Cup was something unique and is now a pivotal phase of the WNBA season as the Indiana Fever now have a chance to get a trophy under their belt in the Caitlin Clark era. If they win, this will give the team immense confidence going forward in the WNBA season. The nature of the competition could have proved advantageous to the Fever, as they have been largely inconsistent this season and many would consider the Liberty as a better team overall, but the Fever took their chances on the day and earned their finals spot. Either way, it will be a tasty matchup when the stable Minnesota Lynx play the exciting Indiana Fever in the finals on July 1.
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