Las Vegas Aces v New York Liberty

Marine Johannes #23 and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton #44

Han Xu #21, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton #44, and Jonquel Jones #35

Photo Gallery

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		<h2>Gallery Block</h2>
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WNBA-CommishCup-Logo_-Primary_RGB_DarkBkgd-1 (1)

It’s been an iconic month for sports in New York City. 
The New York Knicks won the Finals for the first time since 1973, Gotham FC brought up the Challenger’s Cup trophy, and now, the New York Liberty are Commissioner’s Cup champions for a second time. 
The Las Vegas Aces, who were unfortunately without A’ja Wilson due to an ankle injury suffered over the weekend, looked lost on offense as they tried to find consistent shooting from literally anywhere in their lineup. For a moment, in the second half, that answer looked to be Jackie Young, but New York’s guard room beat out Las Vegas’ in the end. 
The Liberty desperately needed this win, as they had been skidding into this championship game. The Aces, conversely, have been cruising with Wilson piecing together yet another MVP-caliber season so far. However, this loss exposed weaknesses in their frontcourt and on offense when she’s not available.
Despite depth, experience, and X-factors always being the topic of discussion headed into big games like this, it all came down to who had more star power willing to step up to the plate for just one game &#8211; New York did. 
<hr />
<h2>New York Won The Guard Battle</h2>
<div id="attachment_265090" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-265090" class="wp-image-265090" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/07/GettyImages-2283541320-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/07/GettyImages-2283541320-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/07/GettyImages-2283541320-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/07/GettyImages-2283541320-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/07/GettyImages-2283541320-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/07/GettyImages-2283541320-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/07/GettyImages-2283541320-2048x1366.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Sabrina Ionescu #20 of the New York Liberty and Jackie Young #0 of the Las Vegas Aces</div>
I wrote<a href="https://www.wnba.com/news/rapid-reactions-commissioners-cup-2026"> that this game could end up</a> being a battle of the guards once we knew it would be Las Vegas against New York. 
 
Sabrina Ionescu had 26 points on a heavy shot diet. She was doing an excellent job throughout the contest of using her gravity to set up Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones cutting to the basket. Pauline Astier added 15 points on 5-8 shooting, and the two guards had half of the Liberty’s assists on the night. 
Jackie Young had 31 points, looking like the only Aces player who could find their shot &#8211; especially from three-point range. Chelsea Gray, very abnormally, had just seven points on 3-12 shooting. 
Chennedy Carter was the spark plug in the Aces guard room outside of Young, with her 18 points helping to keep Las Vegas in the contest in the first half when it felt like New York could potentially run away with things. But, as she’s ramping back up into regular action following an extended break from play, she only had 25 minutes on the court compared to Gray’s 36. 
In a game where the frontcourt battle wasn’t as much of a focal point as fans might’ve wanted it to be, New York managed to edge out the Aces star backcourt. 
<hr />
<h2>Las Vegas’ Frontcourt Depth Still an Issue?</h2>
Without Wilson, Las Vegas’ front court &#8211; NaLyssa Smith, Stephanie Talbot, Cheyenne Parker-Tyus, Bri Turner, and Kierstan Ball &#8211; had a combined 24 points on the night. Talbot and Turner had zero points combined in 21 minutes on the court. 
Stewart, alone, had 25 points for New York. She was the difference maker without Wilson on the floor. She deters players like Stewart, Jones, and even Ionescu from testing her at the rim, averaging two blocks per game. With her off the floor, the Liberty paced the Aces with 46 points in the paint. On the season, New York’s scoring 39.7 percent of their points in the paint. In this game, their 46 points accounted for nearly half of their scoring. 
It feels premature to say that Las Vegas is not as good a team without Wilson. We’ve seen Smith piece together some great performances in relief of Wilson, and Parker-Tyus has been a solid backup piece for the Aces. But you simply cannot replicate Wilson’s defensive presence. It’s one of one. New York felt that and took advantage of it immediately, which is a problem if you’re trying to give Wilson some relief in future contests. 
<hr />
<h2>History of Cup Predicting Finals Teams</h2>
<div id="attachment_265094" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-265094" class="wp-image-265094" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/07/GettyImages-2283547570-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="769" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/07/GettyImages-2283547570-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/07/GettyImages-2283547570-300x256.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/07/GettyImages-2283547570-1024x875.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/07/GettyImages-2283547570-768x656.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/07/GettyImages-2283547570-1536x1312.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/07/GettyImages-2283547570-2048x1750.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />The New York Liberty with their 2023 and 2026 Commissioner&#8217;s Cup Championship trophies</div>
Over the last few seasons, the Commissioner’s Cup has been a great crystal ball into who might make a deep postseason run, or even a Finals appearance. There have been some discrepancies along the way since the Cup began in 2021 &#8211; the Indiana Fever beat the Minnesota Lynx in 2025 to take the Cup, but they couldn’t sustain that success due to a dearth of injuries. 
But, the Liberty, Aces, and Lynx all seem to just be trading spots in the Cup final and also in the postseason. In 2022, the Aces beat the Chicago Sky in the Cup championship and proceeded to win the Finals. In 2023, the Aces took on the Liberty for the first time in the championship, got completely bulldozed by New York, and then went back-to-back as WNBA Finals champions against them anyway. 
In 2024, Minnesota beat New York in the Cup finals, and then New York redeemed themselves for their 2023 fumble with a Finals win of their own against Minnesota that same year. 
So, could this year’s Cup championship slate mean anything for the postseason, or the Finals, specifically? 
Absolutely. These are two experienced, stacked teams with some youth injected and two very solid benches. Minnesota will obviously threaten the order of things once Napheesa Collier is back (and, it’s not like they’re not already tearing up the league without her, as they’re in first place). Still, New York against Las Vegas in this year’s Cup championship is as predictable a potential Finals preview as the sun rising tomorrow.

rapid-reactions-2026-commissioners-cup-championship

Rapid Reactions: 2026 Commissioner's Cup Championship

5 Things I Like

We’re headed into the Commissioner’s Cup championship game between the Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty. Still, the two teams met up before this contest for a fun preview ahead of their clash at Barclays Center on June 30th. 
These two squads are pretty clear contenders, but the Aces seem to be flying a lot higher than the Liberty at the moment. Despite that, New York managed to beat Las Vegas in their Cup championship preview. 
Another contentious game between the Dallas Wings and Minnesota Lynx, a quadruple overtime game between the Washington Mystics and Portland Fire, a surge from an unlikely source in Chicago, and Cheryl Reeve on the brink of history were all things I liked from this past week in the WNBA.
<hr />
<h2>First Taste of Commissioner’s Cup Championship</h2>
<div id="attachment_264985" style="width: 2010px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-264985" class="wp-image-264985 size-full" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-30T085635.274.png" alt="" width="2000" height="1125" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-30T085635.274.png 2000w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-30T085635.274-300x169.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-30T085635.274-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-30T085635.274-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-30T085635.274-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />Han Xu #21 of the New York Liberty</div>
Who would’ve thought that the Liberty’s X-factor against the Aces wouldn’t be winning the guard battle, or Breanna Stewart edging out perennial MVP candidate A’ja Wilson, but Han Xu providing 12 points in 13 minutes off the bench en route to a New York win?
Xu went a perfect 6-6 from the field in her limited minutes off the bench for the Liberty, hitting both of her three-point attempts. Her bench contributions were key for New York in the 2nd half, as she helped match the scoring from Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu to get New York over the hump necessary to take Las Vegas down. 
Since this contest, though, New York has lost their only two contests prior to the Cup championship &#8211; one game against the Seattle Storm, when they were shorthanded, and one against the Golden State Valkyries, where they simply couldn’t stop their paint penetration or match their shooting from the field. 
Las Vegas, on the other hand, took down the Wings and Sky as they head to New York for the Cup. They’re still looking like the team to beat this season, with Wilson somehow looking so good this year that it isn’t getting enough hype &#8211; her unbelievably performances are actually just becoming routine for us all to witness.
<hr />
<h2>Wings-Lynx Rivalry Continues to Brew</h2>
Hand clapping, technicals, and “too little” celebrations were sprinkled throughout the Wings’ loss to the Lynx at home over the weekend. Things were a bit heated between Wings star Paige Bueckers and current ROTY frontrunner Olivia Miles, specifically, which shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to fans with how competitive those two players are. 
It was a physical matchup that nearly became a down-to-the-wire battle thanks to some clutch Azzi Fudd buckets in the second half, but Dallas continues to struggle to get stops at the rim with a lack of a protector in the front court. Minnesota, and specifically Miles and Natasha Howard, took full advantage of this by posting 38 paint points to Dallas’ 28. 
These two young backcourt stars could very well meet in the postseason, so their games against one another have been a fun potential preview of a new playoff rivalry brewing.
<hr />
<h2>Quadruple OT Game Makes WNBA History</h2>
Yes, you’re reading that subheading right &#8211; there were four extra quarters played to determine a winner of a Mystics-Fire game over the weekend. Exhausted watching the players doesn’t even begin to describe what it felt like watching this contest, which ended in a win for Washington. 
The game, which ended 124-123, ties a 2001 game between Washington and Seattle as the longest in WNBA history. The 247 points scored in this game were also the second-most scored in WNBA history. And, to add even more history, the eight players who logged 45 or more minutes on the court were the most players to go for that long in WNBA history. 
This was, aside from the obvious barn-burner feel of it all, also a great showcase of young talent in Portland and Washington. Carla Leite and Sarah Ashlee Barker did their best to lead the Fire to the win in this one, with Leite hitting the three-pointer that carried Portland into the first overtime period that kicked off the mayhem. But, Washington’s young core &#8211; Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron &#8211; in addition to veteran Michaela Onyenwere, carried them to a win. 
<hr />
<h2>Sydney Taylor Turning Heads in Chicago</h2>
<div id="attachment_264986" style="width: 2010px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-264986" class="wp-image-264986 size-full" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-30T090117.879.png" alt="" width="2000" height="1125" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-30T090117.879.png 2000w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-30T090117.879-300x169.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-30T090117.879-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-30T090117.879-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-30T090117.879-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />Sydney Taylor #12 of the Chicago Sky</div>
“She’s from New York, and she plays like she’s from New York, and sometimes you can just tell. We were kind of surprised that she had gone under the radar as much as she has.”
That <a href="https://www.theixsports.com/the-ix-basketball-newsroom/wnba/chicago-sky/sydney-taylor-chicago-sky/">was Tyler Marsh speaking to reporters</a> about Sky guard Sydney Taylor, an undrafted free agent who has gone from an end-of-bench piece to one of Chicago’s biggest spark plugs amid a down season. 
The Long Island native has put together some sensational performances in June, including a 30-point game in a loss against the Indiana Fever, a 29-point game in a win against the Fire on Friday, and a solid 6-13 shooting performance in a loss to the Aces. Chicago had been sorely missing that floor-spacing shooting from its lineup to aid its front-court-heavy roster, and Taylor seems to be the answer to those problems as of now.
<hr />
<h2>Reeve One Win Away from History</h2>
As I wrote about last week, Reeve is <a href="https://www.wnba.com/news/cheryl-reeve-nears-wnba-history">on the brink of history</a>. She’s now just one win away from surpassing Mike Thibault as the all-time WNBA regular-season wins holder, and that could come as soon as this coming Friday against the Liberty. It’s a 2024 Finals rematch, so that’s already an exciting factor involved in the game, but it could also get Reeve over that 380-win hump necessary to become the sole regular-season wins record holder. 
With the way these two teams are playing &#8211; Minnesota acting as a bulldozer led by Miles, and New York still seemingly working out the kinks related to a new coach and a re-tooled bench &#8211; it feels likely that the Lynx can secure that record-sealing win with Reeve this weekend. 
This will be the two teams’ first meeting with one another this season &#8211; what a way to kick off their remaining three contests against one another for the year.

five-things-i-like-week-7-2026

5 Things I Like: Week Seven 2026

What. A. Week.
A 53-point outburst from Marina Mabrey, matching the WNBA&#8217;s single-game scoring record 
shared by A&#8217;ja Wilson and Liz Cambage.
A quadruple-overtime instant classic in DC as Sonia Citron and the Mystics outlasted the Fire 
in only the second 4OT game in league history and the first since 2001.
Kamilla Cardoso dropped a career-best 30 points on a perfect 13-for-13 shooting, setting the 
record for the most field goals made without a miss in league history.
Brittney Griner became the WNBA&#8217;s all-time leader in blocked shots with the 878th rejection 
of her career.
Cheryl Reeve tied the WNBA record for most coaching wins 24 hours after joining Candace 
Parker and Elena Delle Donne in entering the Women&#8217;s Basketball Hall of Fame.
How do we follow that?
On Tuesday night in Brooklyn, the Aces and Liberty square off in the Commissioner&#8217;s Cup 
Championship Game as the last two WNBA champs vie to add a second Commissioner&#8217;s Cup to 
their trophy collection.
But before a new week gets underway, let&#8217;s look at how the teams stack up through seven weeks 
of play.
Note: All stats and records are through games played Sunday, June 28.
<hr />
<h2>1. Minnesota Lynx (15-4) ↔️</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-264957" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-29T121121.529.png" alt="" width="2000" height="1125" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-29T121121.529.png 2000w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-29T121121.529-300x169.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-29T121121.529-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-29T121121.529-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-29T121121.529-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />
<ul>
<li>Last Week: 1</li>
<li>This Week: Fri. at NYL</li>
</ul>
Not only is Reeve tied for the most regular-season wins in WNBA history (she already owns the 
record for playoff wins), but her Lynx also continue to hold the best record in the WNBA this 
season. After opening the season 2-2, the Lynx have gone 15-2 since. They are off until Friday, 
when they visit the Liberty in Brooklyn, with Reeve looking to take sole possession of first place 
on the coaching wins list.
<hr />
<h2>2. Las Vegas Aces (14-5) ↔️</h2>
<ul>
<li>Last Week: 2</li>
<li>This Week: Tue. at NYL (CC), Fri. vs. CHI, Sun. vs. IND</li>
</ul>
After opening the week with a loss to New York in the first meeting of the season between the 
Commissioner&#8217;s Cup finalists, the Aces bounced back with consecutive wins over Dallas and 
Chicago to enter Tuesday&#8217;s Cup Championship Game with some winning momentum. In 
Sunday&#8217;s victory over the Sky, A&#8217;ja Wilson made WNBA history as she scored 20 of her 30 
points in the second half, passing Diana Taurasi (29) for the most 20+ point halves in league 
history.
<hr />
<h2>3. Golden State Valkyries (13-7) ⬆️</h2>
<ul>
<li>Last Week: 5</li>
<li>This Week: Sat. at ATL</li>
</ul>
The Valkyries own the league&#8217;s longest active winning streak after going 3-0 last week with a 
pair of wins over Atlanta and a victory over the Liberty. A key to Golden State&#8217;s success so far 
this season has been its depth. The Valkyries lead all teams in bench scoring at 34.3 points per 
game and have been led in scoring for at least one game by seven different players.
<hr />
<h2>4. New York Liberty (12-8) ↔️</h2>
<ul>
<li>Last Week: 4</li>
<li>This Week: Tue. vs. LVA (CC), Fri. vs. MIN</li>
</ul>
The Liberty enter Tuesday&#8217;s Commissioner&#8217;s Cup title game searching for answers after closing 
last week with back-to-back losses following their win over the Aces.
&#8220;You can&#8217;t play with heart and play with effort just when things are going good,&#8221; Breanna 
Stewart said after Sunday&#8217;s loss to Golden State. &#8220;It&#8217;s really the moments when you&#8217;re at the 
lowest. And this team &#8212; we&#8217;re obviously not a finished product, but this wasn&#8217;t a great showing, 
especially coming off of a loss.&#8221;
How will the Liberty respond when they clash with the Aces with the Cup on the line, followed 
by a matchup with league-leading Minnesota?
<hr />
<h2>5. Atlanta Dream (12-7) ⬇️</h2>
<ul>
<li>Last Week: 3</li>
<li>This Week: Thur. at WAS, Sat. vs. GSV</li>
</ul>
After winning four straight games to improve to 12-4 on the season — matching their best start 
since 2010 — the Dream dropped three straight to close out last week, including consecutive 
losses at Golden State. However, Atlanta still enters the week with the best record in the Eastern 
Conference and will look to get back on track when they visit the Mystics on Thursday and then 
close out their season series with the Valkyries at home.
<hr />
<h2>6. Dallas Wings (11-8) ↔️</h2>
<ul>
<li>Last Week: 6</li>
<li>This Week: Thur. at CON, Sun. at TOR</li>
</ul>
The Wings opened last week with an overtime win in Seattle that saw rookie Azzi Fudd drop a 
career-best 26 points to go with Paige Bueckers&#8217; 27 as the Wings&#8217; backcourt helped offset a 
career-best 37 from Seattle center Dominique Malonga. But the Wings were unable to build off 
the win as they fell to the top two teams in the standings — Minnesota and Las Vegas — to close 
the week. Dallas will look to rebound when they visit Connecticut and Toronto this week.
<hr />
<h2>7. Indiana Fever (11-8) ↔️</h2>
<ul>
<li>Last Week: 7</li>
<li>This Week: Sun. at LVA</li>
</ul>
After splitting a pair of games with the Mercury, the Fever closed out a stretch of five home 
games in a six-game span with a win over the Sparks. Even without Caitlin Clark, who missed 
the game with a back injury, the Fever still put up their league-leading seventh game with 100+ 
points. Clark is not expected to miss much time, according to coach Stephanie White. The Fever 
are off until Sunday, when they open a four-game road trip out West that is bookended by games 
in Las Vegas.
<hr />
<h2>8. Washington Mystics (9-9) ⬆️</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-264958" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-29T121224.364.png" alt="" width="2000" height="1125" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-29T121224.364.png 2000w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-29T121224.364-300x169.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-29T121224.364-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-29T121224.364-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-29T121224.364-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />
<ul>
<li>Last Week: 9</li>
<li>This Week: Thu. vs. ATL</li>
</ul>
It&#8217;s fitting that the WNBA&#8217;s first quadruple-overtime game in 21 years would involve the 
Mystics, who won the league&#8217;s only other 4OT game on July 3, 2001, with a 72-69 triumph over 
Seattle. No team has played in more close games so far this season than the Mystics, who 
improved to 5-2 in games decided by three points or less. The good news for Sonia Citron — 
who logged a game-high 53 minutes, tied for the fifth-most minutes played in a game in WNBA 
history — and the rest of the Mystics is that they are off until Thursday when they host Atlanta.
<hr />
<h2>9. Toronto Tempo (9-10) ⬆️</h2>
<ul>
<li>Last Week: 10</li>
<li>This Week: Sun. vs. DAL</li>
</ul>
The Tempo went just 1-2 last week, but that lone victory was certainly memorable. Marina 
Mabrey was unstoppable against the Sparks on Thursday night as she erupted for 53 points and 
nine 3-pointers, tying the WNBA&#8217;s single-game record in both categories. That win over L.A. 
was the first game in a nine-game homestand for the Tempo that runs until the All-Star break. 
After hovering within a game of .500 throughout their inaugural season, can the Tempo string 
together some wins at home? The chances go up if Mabrey keeps dropping 50-balls in The 
North.
<hr />
<h2>10. Los Angeles Sparks (8-10) ⬇️</h2>
<ul>
<li>Last Week: 8</li>
<li>This Week: No games until July 6</li>
</ul>
Los Angeles entered last week coming off a thrilling win over New York thanks to Nneka 
Ogwumike&#8217;s buzzer-beating 3-pointer. However, the Sparks were unable to build off that victory 
as they dropped consecutive road games at Toronto and Indiana by 28 and 24 points, 
respectively. The Sparks have lost four of their last five games but have a full week off to 
regroup as they do not play again until July 6 when they host Seattle.
<hr />
<h2>11. Phoenix Mercury (7-13) ⬆️</h2>
<ul>
<li>Last Week: 12</li>
<li>This Week: Thur. vs. SEA</li>
</ul>
Kahleah Copper is starting to cook, and after a 4-12 start to the season, the Mercury are 
beginning to string some wins together. After having three 20+ point games over Phoenix&#8217;s first 
14 contests, Copper has five in the Mercury&#8217;s last six games, averaging 26.5 points on 53.7% 
shooting over that stretch. Phoenix still has work to do to climb out of its early hole and back 
into playoff contention. The Mercury go for their first three-game win streak of the season when 
they host Seattle on Thursday.
<hr />
<h2>12. Chicago Sky (6-13) ⬆️</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-264959" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-29T121326.814.png" alt="" width="2000" height="1125" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-29T121326.814.png 2000w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-29T121326.814-300x169.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-29T121326.814-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-29T121326.814-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-29T121326.814-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />
<ul>
<li>Last Week: 13</li>
<li>This Week: Fri. at LVA</li>
</ul>
The Sky picked up back-to-back home wins over Portland last week. The first was all about 
balance, with Skylar Diggins leading seven Sky players in double figures in a 23-point win. The 
second was all about Kamilla Cardoso, who made WNBA history with a career-best 30 points on 
a perfect 13-for-13 shooting. Half of Chicago&#8217;s wins this season have come against the Fire, but 
that season series is wrapped. After closing out the week with a loss to Las Vegas, the Sky get 
another shot at the defending champs on Friday.
<hr />
<h2>13. Portland Fire (8-12) ⬇️</h2>
<ul>
<li>Last Week: 11</li>
<li>This Week: Sat. at SEA</li>
</ul>
Unfortunately for the Fire, one team must be on the wrong end of an instant classic. Carla Leite 
— who banked in a 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds left in regulation to force overtime — had a good 
look for the game-winner, but her runner just missed as the Fire fell to the Mystics in a 
quadruple-overtime marathon. It was Portland&#8217;s third straight loss as the Fire dropped to 2-8 in 
June. After four players logged 45+ minutes on Sunday, the Fire have nearly a full week off 
before visiting Seattle on Saturday.
<hr />
<h2>14. Seattle Storm (5-15) ↔️</h2>
<ul>
<li>Last Week: 14</li>
<li>This Week: Thur. at PHX, Sat. vs. POR</li>
</ul>
Seattle&#8217;s week started with both frustration and hope. The agony came from suffering an 11th 
straight loss for the Storm&#8217;s longest losing streak in team history. The promise came from 20- 
year-old Dominique Malonga, who had a career night with 37 points and 12 rebounds in the OT 
loss. Seattle&#8217;s week closed with both victories and optimism. The Storm earned double-digit wins 
over both New York and Atlanta with rookies Flau&#8217;jae Johnson and Awa Fam leading the way. 
Can the Storm continue to build when they visit Phoenix on Thursday?
<hr />
<h2>15. Connecticut Sun (4-15) ↔️</h2>
<ul>
<li>Last Week: 15</li>
<li>This Week: Thur. vs. DAL</li>
</ul>
Like Seattle, the Sun snapped an extended losing streak (seven games) with consecutive wins 
last week. In Connecticut&#8217;s win over Chicago on Monday, Brittney Griner etched her name in the 
record books, passing Margo Dydek as the all-time leader in blocked shots. Four days later, it 
was Olivia Nelson-Ododa&#8217;s turn to lead the Sun, posting 12 points, nine rebounds, and three 
blocks as Connecticut won back-to-back games for the first time this season. The Sun will try for 
three straight when they host the Wings on Thursday.

2026-wnba-power-rankings-week-7

2026 WNBA Power Rankings: Week 7

Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) — Kamilla Cardoso set a WNBA record by shooting 13 for 13 from the field, scoring a <a class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement" href="https://x.com/chicagosky/status/2070673891136065622?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-gtm-enhancement-style="LinkEnhancementA">career-high</a> 30 points to lead the Chicago Sky to a 124-94 victory over the expansion Portland Fire 124-94 on Friday night.
Cardoso had the most field goals without a miss in league history and also grabbed eight rebounds as Chicago (5-12) won back-to-back games for the first time since May 9-13.
The Sky also surpassed the franchise record for points in a game of 114, with Jacy Sheldon’s fourth-quarter layup breaking the mark.
Sydney Taylor added 29 points and has scored 20 or more four times this season, second among all rookies. Only Olivia Miles has more with seven.
Azura Stevens had 12 while Skylar Diggins and Courtney Vandersloot — who made her season debut after returning from injury — each scored 10.
The Sky jumped out to a 29-17 lead at the end of the first quarter and never trailed again. They shot 66% as a team and hit 15 of their 28 3s.
Bridget Carleton led Portland with 20 points, and Carla Leite had 18 for the Fire (8-10), who made nine 3-pointers.

kamilla-cardosos-wnba-record-shooting-night

Kamilla Cardoso Shoots 13 for 13 and Scores 30 in WNBA-Record Shooting Night as Sky Beat Fire 124-94

Analysis

Before looking ahead to the 2026 Commissioner’s Cup Championship game between the New York Liberty and Las Vegas Aces on June 30, 2026, it&#8217;s worth revisiting two dates that helped shape this rivalry: Dec. 31, 2021, and Feb. 8, 2023.
On New Year’s Eve 2021, the <a href="https://www.wnba.com/news/las-vegas-announces-franchise-legend-becky-hammon-as-teams-head-coach">Aces hired franchise legend Becky Hammon</a> as their head coach. It was a move that propelled Las Vegas to championship glory after falling short in three consecutive postseasons — losing in the semifinals in 2019 and 2021, and the Finals in 2020. Since then, the Aces have won three of the last four WNBA titles.
On Feb. 8, 2023, the <a href="https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/35570833/breanna-stewart-sign-new-york-liberty">Liberty signed Breanna Stewart as a free agen</a>t, transforming New York from a team coming off five consecutive sub-.500 seasons into an instant championship contender. The Liberty reached the Finals in Stewart’s debut season in seafoam, and she helped deliver the franchise’s first championship a year later.
Since 2023, the Aces and Liberty have been the WNBA’s two most dominant forces. They own the league&#8217;s two best regular-season winning percentages over that span and have backed it up in the postseason, combining to win each of the past three WNBA championships.
Their sustained excellence is reflected in the league standings since 2023.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-264665" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/wnba-win-pct-since-2023-scaled.png" alt="a bar graph displaying WNBA team win percentages since 2023" width="900" height="506" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/wnba-win-pct-since-2023-scaled.png 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/wnba-win-pct-since-2023-300x169.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/wnba-win-pct-since-2023-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/wnba-win-pct-since-2023-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/wnba-win-pct-since-2023-1536x864.png 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/wnba-win-pct-since-2023-2048x1152.png 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />
In 2023, the Aces and Liberty crossed paths in both the Commissioner&#8217;s Cup Championship Game (won by New York) and the WNBA Finals (won by Las Vegas). Now they meet once again with hardware on the line. When they take the floor next Tuesday at Barclays Center, both teams will look to capture their second Commissioner’s Cup title.
<hr />
<h2>A Heavyweight Rivalry</h2>
<div id="attachment_264667" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-264667" class="wp-image-264667" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-1732195518-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="599" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-1732195518-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-1732195518-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-1732195518-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-1732195518-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-1732195518-1536x1023.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-1732195518-2048x1364.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Jackie Young #0 of the Las Vegas Aces plays defense against Sabrina Ionescu #20 of the New York Liberty during game 4 of the 2023 WNBA Finals</div>
The history between these two teams is deep, tightly contested, and layered with championship pedigree.
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">The Finals Clash: New York and Las Vegas met in the 2023 WNBA Finals, where the Aces secured a 3-1 series victory to become the first WNBA team in over two decades to win back-to-back championships. Since then, both franchises have added to their trophy cases, with the Liberty capturing the WNBA title in 2024 and the Aces reclaiming the throne in 2025.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Cup History: This game marks the third time each franchise has reached the Commissioner&#8217;s Cup Championship Game. Las Vegas took home the title in 2022, while New York won it in 2023 with an 82-63 blowout victory over the Aces. The Liberty returned to the title game in 2024 but fell short against Minnesota.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">All-Time Ledger: Historically, New York owns a razor-thin advantage in this rivalry between two of the WNBA&#8217;s original franchises (the Aces’ history dates back to San Antonio). In regular-season play, the Liberty lead 35-33. Their postseason rivalry is deadlocked at 4-4, while New York holds a 1-0 edge in Commissioner’s Cup Championship Games.</li>
</ul>
<hr />
<h2>Recent History &amp; Present Form</h2>
<div id="attachment_264669" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-264669" class="wp-image-264669" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2282520985-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2282520985-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2282520985-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2282520985-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2282520985-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2282520985-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2282520985-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Jewell Loyd #24 of the Las Vegas Aces during the game against the New York Liberty on June 23, 2026</div>
Since 2023, these teams have met 20 times across the regular season, playoffs, and Commissioner’s Cup combined. Here’s a breakdown of that history:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Regular Season: Liberty 8, Aces 3</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Playoffs: Liberty 4, Aces 4 (each won a series 3-1: Aces in the 2023 Finals, Liberty in the 2024 Semifinals)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Commissioner’s Cup: Liberty 1, Aces 0</li>
</ul>
Overall, the Liberty own a 13-7 edge during that stretch and enter Tuesday having won 10 of the last 12 meetings. This includes their first matchup this season on June 23, just one week ahead of the Commissioner’s Cup final.
In that contest, Stewart led the way with 20 points, while Sabrina Ionescu added a double-double (16 points and 10 rebounds), as the Liberty never trailed after the game’s opening minutes en route to an 87-76 road win.
It was New York’s fifth win in its last 11 road games against Las Vegas. Meanwhile, the Aces have found little comfort at Barclays Center, securing just one win in their last nine meetings in Brooklyn—the championship-clinching Game 4 in 2023.
If the Aces hope to hoist their second Commissioner’s Cup, they will need to win in Brooklyn for only the second time in the last four years. So far this season, Las Vegas has been a sharper road team (8-2) than they have at home (4-3). Can they continue that trend with the Commissioner’s Cup trophy—and the lion&#8217;s share of the $500,000 prize pool—on the line?
New York earned the right to host the Championship Game after finishing Cup play with a perfect 6-0 record against fellow Eastern Conference opponents, while the Aces won the West with a 6-1 mark. 
<hr />
<h2>The MVP Vanguard</h2>
<div id="attachment_264668" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-264668" class="wp-image-264668" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2176243063-5-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2176243063-5-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2176243063-5-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2176243063-5-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2176243063-5-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2176243063-5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2176243063-5-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />A&#8217;ja Wilson #22 of the Las Vegas Aces and Breanna Stewart #30 of the New York Liberty during the Semi-Finals Round of the 2024 WNBA Playoffs</div>
Beyond the team storylines, this matchup is a showcase of elite individual talent, featuring all three active WNBA players who have claimed league MVP honors since 2018:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">A&#8217;ja Wilson (2020, 2022, 2024, 2025)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Breanna Stewart (2018, 2023)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Jonquel Jones (2021)</li>
</ul>
Wilson enters the game playing some of the most dominant basketball of her career, leading the WNBA in both scoring (25.1 points per game) and blocks (2.1 per game).
The star-studded affair also features three of the league’s premier rebounders. Wilson currently ranks fourth in the WNBA with 9.1 rebounds per game, closely trailed by the Liberty&#8217;s twin-tower frontcourt of Jones (8.8 RPG, 5th) and Stewart (8.8 RPG, 6th).
If the Aces hope to reverse their recent slide against New York and claim their second Commissioner&#8217;s Cup, Wilson will likely need to set a physical tone early. However, with the Liberty entering Tuesday undefeated in Commissioner’s Cup play, boasting a 10-2 record in their last 12 meetings with Las Vegas, and holding home-court advantage at Barclays Center, New York carries a slight edge into this blockbuster championship clash.

game-preview-2026-commissioners-cup-championship

Game Preview: 2026 Commissioner's Cup Championship

Betting + Odds

We are seven weeks into the 2026-27 WNBA season, and the top teams are beginning to separate themselves from the rest of the league. Friday&#8217;s slate of games features an elite matchup between the third-place Atlanta Dream and fifth-place Golden State Valkyries, while Saturday&#8217;s slate features Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever taking on the Los Angeles Sparks, who have had a rough start to the new campaign with an 8-9 record.
Below, I&#8217;ll go over the <a href="https://sportsbook.draftkings.com/leagues/basketball/wnba?category=game-lines&amp;subcategory=game">WNBA odds</a> for Friday and Saturday’s games and provide my best bets on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Stay locked into the WNBA’s 30th season with game previews, player props, betting splits and more on <a href="https://dknetwork.draftkings.com/draftkings-sportsbook-betting-splits/?tb_eg=94682&amp;tb_edate=n7days&amp;tb_emt=0">DraftKingsNetwork.com</a>!
<hr />
<h2>Friday, June 26</h2>
Chicago Sky vs. Portland Fire (7:30 p.m. ET) –– CHI -4.5, O/U 173.5
Connecticut Sun vs. Washington Mystics (7:30 p.m. ET) –– WAS -4.5, O/U 163.5
Golden State Valkyries vs. Atlanta Dream (10:00 p.m. ET) –– ATL -1.5, O/U 164.5
Best Bets:
<a href="https://sportsbook.draftkings.com/event/was-mystics-%2540-con-sun/34314840?category=all-odds&amp;subcategory=game-lines">WAS -4.5 (-105)</a>
While Connecticut picked up its first win of the month on Monday against Chicago, it boasts a league-worst 3-15 record, ranking dead last in offensive rating and fourth-worst in defensive rating. Washington, on the other hand, has won four of its past six games, with wins over the Tempo, Liberty and Lynx. This Mystics squad can clearly hang with the league&#8217;s top teams, and it should have very few issues handling the league&#8217;s worst team.
The Mystics may not see as much rebounding success as they are used to, with the Sun allowing the sixth-fewest rebounds per game to their opponents. However, Connecticut doesn&#8217;t have the offensive firepower to keep up with Washington, particularly Sonia Citron, who is averaging 18.3 points per game and has scored 20+ points in three of her past four outings.
<a href="https://sportsbook.draftkings.com/event/atl-dream-%2540-gs-valkyries/34314850?category=all-odds&amp;subcategory=rebounds">Angel Reese 12+ Rebounds (-130)</a>
Reese leads the WNBA in rebounds per game (11.8), and she has been particularly elite on the boards when playing on the road, clearing this line in six of nine road outings this season. Her matchup against the Valkyries should be a good one, as she grabbed 12 boards in her last outing against them on Wednesday, and the team has allowed the fifth-most rebounds per game to its opponents.
Another factor that makes me like this prop bet even more is the fact that Golden State shoots a league-low 40.9% from the field, which should result in plenty of easy rebounding chances for Reese. Plus, it helps that the Valkyries&#8217; front court can shoot threes, and that should help Reese get better positioning to be a menace on the boards.
<hr />
<h2>Saturday, June 27</h2>
Toronto Tempo vs. Phoenix Mercury (2:00 p.m. ET) –– TOR -2.5, O/U 174.5
Indiana Fever vs. Los Angeles Sparks (8:00 p.m. ET) –– IND -8.5, O/U 178.5
Seattle Storm vs. Atlanta Dream (9:00 p.m. ET) –– TBD
Best Bets:
<a href="https://sportsbook.draftkings.com/event/pho-mercury-%2540-tor-tempo/34318841?category=all-odds&amp;subcategory=threes">Marina Mabrey 3+ Threes (-175)</a>
Mabrey is coming off a historic 53-point game against the Sparks on Thursday, and she has an elite matchup against the Mercury to continue her strong play, especially from three-point range. The 29-year-old seemingly gets better as the days go by, leading the league in both 3PTM and 3PTA, all while shooting a blistering 40.3% from deep. She has hit a whopping nine (!) threes in two of her last three games, and she should continue the trend against a Phoenix team that allows the most three-pointers and the second-best three-point percentage to its opponents this season.
3+ threes for a player with this type of shooting volume, on top of an elite matchup, is far too enticing to pass up. Mabrey hit six threes in her lone matchup against the Mercury back on May 19, and I&#8217;d be willing to bet she comes out firing after tying the WNBA&#8217;s single-game scoring record in her last outing.
<a href="https://sportsbook.draftkings.com/event/la-sparks-%2540-ind-fever/34318842?category=all-odds&amp;subcategory=threes">Kelsey Mitchell 3+ Threes (-105)</a>
Let&#8217;s continue the three-pointer trend and target Mitchell, who ranks eighth in 3PTM and ninth in 3PTA this season. The 30-year-old is averaging a career-high 21.4 points per game and gets to face the Sparks, who Mabrey just torched for 53 points and nine threes. Mitchell averages more FGA per game than Mabrey, too. Los Angeles has allowed the second-most 3PTM and third-most 3PTA to its opponents this season, and it boasts the league&#8217;s worst defensive rating.
Mitchell has been consistent at home as of late, too, hitting 3+ threes in five of her last six home outings. During that span, she has averaged 6.7 3PTA per game. Earlier in the season, she went 3-of-9 from deep range in her lone outing against the Sparks.
&nbsp;
All odds and lines provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and are subject to change.
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WNBA Best Bets, Predictions for June 26-27 on DraftKings Sportsbook

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Photo Gallery: 2026 Commissioner's Cup Championship Portraits

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