What is the Commissioner’s Cup?
The Commissioner’s Cup presented by Coinbase is an annual in-season competition, which features 61 games this year, ten designated regular-season cup games- 1st home game & 1st road game against conference opponents, with a prize pool of $500,000 in the Championship Game for the players and at least $165,000 in charitable donations throughout this year’s series. At the end of Commissioner’s Cup play, the team with the highest winning percentage in each conference will face off in a Championship Game. New this year, the Championship Game will take place at the home venue of the team with the highest winning percentage in Commissioner’s Cup play.
What was new about the Commissioner’s Cup in the 2022 season?
In 2022, the Commissioner’s Cup presented by Coinbase featured a new platform through which teams provided funding to local nonprofits, and the league and teams collaborated to select organizations in each market focused on civic engagement. The WNBA donated $2,000 to the chosen organization of each cup game’s winning team and an additional $500 to the losing team’s organization. To spotlight the Championship Game for the Commissioner’s Cup presented by Coinbase, the league donated $10,000 to the winning team’s chosen organization and $5,000 to the organization of the runner-up. The accumulating donation dollars were presented to each organization at the conclusion of the Commissioner’s Cup presented by Coinbase. Additionally, as previously stated, the home team was decided by the team with the highest winning percentage in Commissioner’s Cup play.
How were tie-breakers decided?
If there were a tie in winning percentage after Commissioner’s Cup games, these cross-conference tiebreaker scenarios would’ve been used to determine the host team:
First Tiebreaker – Head-to-head record (if the teams have played each other)
Second Tiebreaker – Highest winning percentage in all regular-season games at the end of games on Thursday, July 7
Third Tiebreaker – Cumulative point differential (in Cup games), net result of total points scored minus total points allowed.
Fourth Tiebreaker – Coin flip
For tie-breakers In-Conference:
1st Tiebreaker – Head-to-head record
2nd Tiebreaker – Cumulative point differential (in Cup games)
3rd Tiebreaker – Winning percentage in conference
4th Tiebreaker – Coin flip
Where were Commissioner’s Cup games viewed?
Commissioner’s Cup games were shown by six partners of the WNBA’s media partners – Prime Video, ABC/ESPN/ESPN2/ESPN3, CBS Television Network/CBS Sports Network, NBA TV, Facebook, and Twitter – which combined to present all 61 Commissioner’s Cup presented by Coinbase games, including the championship game, which was once again streamed by Prime Video on Tuesday, July 26.
How did the charitable donations system work?
Donations to 12 charitable and civic organizations, designated by each of the league’s 12 teams, benefited from this year’s series. These organizations include:
o Atlanta Dream: The King Center
o Chicago Sky: My Block. My Hood. My City.
o Connecticut Sun: League of Women Voters of Connecticut
o Dallas Wings: This Is Project Texas
o Indiana Fever: Indiana Black Expo
o Las Vegas Aces: ACLU of Nevada
o Los Angeles Sparks: Human Rights Campaign
o Minnesota Lynx: ACLU of Minnesota
o New York Liberty: A Little Piece of Light
o Phoenix Mercury: Black Mothers Forum
o Seattle Storm: ACLU of Washington
o Washington Mystics: Alliance for Youth Action
To learn more about each team’s Commissioner’s Cup community organization or interested in donating click here.
Who won the 2022 Commissioner’s Cup?
2022: The Las Vegas Aces defeated the Chicago Sky, 93-83, in the Championship Game of the second-annual Commissioner’s Cup, which took place at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois, on Tuesday, Jul. 26, 2022.
Who won the 2021 Commissioner’s Cup?
2021: The Seattle Storm defeated the Connecticut Sun, 79-57, in the Championship Game of the inaugural Commissioner’s Cup, which took place at Footprint Center in Phoenix, Ariz., on Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021.
How did the prize pool work?
Players competed for a prize pool of $500,000 in the Championship Game. Members of the winning team were able to earn in excess of $30,000 per player. Competitors on the runner-up team had the opportunity to earn $10,000 per player. An additional $5,000 was awarded to the MVP of the Championship Game. At least $165,000 in donations were made to charitable and civic organizations during this year’s series.
Where else can I follow along the journey?
With an all-new WNBA League Pass interface, a unique category titled “Road to the Cup” features past games, highlights, and interviews related to Commissioner’s Cup play exclusively on the WNBA League Pass app.