Commissioner's Cup 2026

Prior to the tip-off to the Commissioner’s Cup, I wrote that this stretch of games typically revealed which teams we should expect to see make deep runs in the postseason, and which teams could even potentially make it to the WNBA Finals. 
We’ve seen that in recent seasons, with the Minnesota Lynx making a deep run in 2025 following a Commissioner’s Cup championship game appearance, with the New York Liberty and Lynx clashing on Long Island in 2024, just to meet again in the Finals, and with the Liberty and Las Vegas Aces duking it out in 2023, which was just a warm-up to their impending Finals series against one another. 
We’re seeing that same formula be tested this year, with the Liberty and Aces headed to the championship game following a long stretch of Cup games throughout June. Both teams have been red-hot for the month, which could be because of the extra motivation added by the Cup and its incentives, or simply because these are two teams constructed to contend now. 
There was plenty to take away from this chunk of June contests that meant a little more than a regular season stretch, and we’ll be diving into five main points drawn from this stretch of the year. 
Stats were pulled prior to June 18 from the <a href="http://wnba.com">WNBA.com</a> stats page.
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<h2>We’re Doing This Again</h2>
<div id="attachment_263949" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-263949" class="wp-image-263949" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2176243063-4-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2176243063-4-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2176243063-4-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2176243063-4-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2176243063-4-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2176243063-4-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2176243063-4-2048x1365.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</div>
No, you’re not reading a headline from 2023 — the Liberty and Aces are clashing, again, in the Commissioner’s Cup Championship. It feels impossible to have underestimated either teams’ ability to turn things up a notch this month, but to be fair, they had some legitimate competition from the Atlanta Dream and Lynx, respectively. 
Despite injuries, New York is suddenly back atop the Eastern Conference with an undefeated stretch during Cup games (6-0). Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones have been steadying forces for the starting lineup, while Satou Sabally has found her groove off the bench for the team. Convincing victories over the Dream and Indiana Fever have landed New York as the host of this year’s Western Conference Cup representative, the Aces. 
Las Vegas has been on the opposite spectrum to begin the year. A’ja Wilson is once again piecing together another MVP-caliber season, and guards Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray have held down their offense following a slight slump from Young to start the season. Toppling this year’s Lynx squad during Cup play was the kind of win that went to show that they’re still the team to beat in the league. 
Las Vegas and New York have not played against one another this season. This is going to be a battle of the frontcourts and the benches, with the Aces guard room a ton more experienced than the Liberty’s at the moment, barring Sabrina Ionescu, of course. This game could live and die at the three point line if Wilson-Na’Lyssa Smith and Stewart-Jones are contained. 
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<h2>Dream on Cusp of Finals Run </h2>
While the Liberty, Lynx, and Aces have been unbelievably impressive to begin this season, the Atlanta Dream have felt like a bit of an afterthought. This, despite much improved play from Rhyne Howard, consistently great play from Allisha Gray, and an obviously wonderful fit for Angel Reese in head coach Karl Smesko’s system. 
This, coupled with a defensive stalwart like Nia Coffey in tow and a very solid rookie in Madina Okot, has bolstered the Dream from just a postseason contender to one you have to worry about getting into the Finals, if you’re any of the three teams mentioned at the start of this section. 
Over the month of June, Atlanta has averaged 90.8 points per game (4th), 35.1 percent from three point range (5th), and they carry an 11.9 net rating along with a 104 defensive rating. Unfortunately, they couldn’t get a win over the Liberty for some cushioning in the Eastern Conference for the Cup, but they’re clearly beginning to figure things out on the offensive end. 
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<h2>Valkyries Continue Shining Behind Two-Way Stars</h2>
<div id="attachment_263952" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-263952" class="wp-image-263952" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2282135497-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="608" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2282135497-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2282135497-300x203.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2282135497-1024x691.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2282135497-768x518.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2282135497-1536x1037.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2282135497-2048x1382.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Gabby Williams #1 of the Golden State Valkyries</div>
Gabby Williams and Veronica Burton have not gotten enough love this season for their two-way dominance for Golden State. Williams is averaging nearly two steals per game, while both she and Burton are hitting threes at an above average clip at the same time. However, with the same fate as Atlanta &#8211; unable to defeat the Lynx or Aces in key Cup matchups &#8211; they lost the opportunity to represent the Western Conference without very wacky results falling in their favor. But, fans in “Balhalla” have to feel good about how well Williams has settled into her role for the Valkyries, as they continue to play methodical basketball with Burton controlling the floor. 
Their lack of consistent rebounding and therefore second chance scoring opportunities continues to shrink the floor just a bit for them on offense, but their defense will continue to keep them in games against powerhouses like the Lynx and Aces in the future. 
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<h2>Bottom 3 Teams&#8217; Struggles Continue</h2>
In the same way that the Cup is an indicator of good things to come for the teams that dominate during its stretch of June, you can also find some sleepers ready to awaken in the middle of the WNBA season through these contests. The Indiana Fever were injury ravaged last season headed into Cup play, and still won the Eastern Conference and the championship. 
That same magic just hasn’t existed for the Chicago Sky, Connecticut Sun, or Seattle Storm. The three teams are also at the bottom of the standings overall, but landed out of the Cup quite quickly into the tournament. Chicago, who looked like they could be a solid squad following their re-signing of Azura Stevens, their trade for Rickea Jackson, and their landing Skylar Diggins, have started to look a lot like the team we saw in 2025 &#8211; a tanking one, with little direction. They’ve gone from a team that dominates the glass and points in the paint to one that is struggling to find offense just about anywhere, currently averaging just 82.2 points per game. 
The Sun are in a similar boat. One year out from their move to Houston, and they aren’t looking much improved upon their rough 2025 season. Connecticut has gotten some great sparks out of Diamond Miller, second year player Aneesah Morrow, and veteran center Brittney Griner, but they’re lacking consistency on all fronts. 
As for Seattle, we knew headed into this season that this was going to essentially be a feel out year. The franchise is set for the future &#8211; Awa Fam, Flau’Jae Johnson, and Dominique Malonga is quite the young trio to have in tow and ready to develop under head coach Sonia Raman, and they have some great vets on the team like Natisha Hiedeman, Stef Dolson, and Jade Melbourne leading them, as well. 
But, all three of these franchises are clearly off on the wrong foot to begin 2026, and that carried over seamlessly into Cup play. 
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<h2>Dallas, Los Angeles Benefit Most from Cup Games</h2>
The Dallas Wings might not have anticipated that Jessica Shepard, and not Alanna Smith, would be their most coveted frontcourt get from free agency this past season. But, Shepard is tallying up double-doubles and showing off her facilitation skills in addition to her scoring capabilities in the paint for Dallas. That’s opening things wide open for Paige Bueckers, Arike Ogunbowale, and rookie Azzi Fudd. In June, and despite barely missing out on the Western Conference clinch, the team is averaging 38.5 rebounds per game, 23.3 assists per game, and are toting a 96.7 defensive rating. Their offense, especially from three point range, remains their largest struggle. But, their paint scoring and defensive prowess is keeping them in contention against the rest of the west. 
As for the Sparks, they’re beginning to figure things out in June. Kelsey Plum remains their best bailout option on offense, although it’s tough to ask her to give you over 40 points per game for the rest of the season. Los Angeles has to see meaningful, consistent contributions from the rest of their roster in order to remain afloat in the standings. Nneka Ogwumike and Dearica Hamby are Plum’s best bets for assistance on that front.

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rapid-reactions-commissioners-cup-2026

Rapid Reactions: 2026 Commissioner's Cup Tournament

5 Things I Like

The news of the New York Liberty’s demise was greatly exaggerated. 
Following an extremely slow start to their 2026 season, New York finds itself right back in the Commissioner’s Cup championship game to represent the Eastern Conference. 
Five straight victories during Cup play and a key win over their closest competition, the Atlanta Dream, helped land them in the final. They now await their Western Conference competition and hope to host whoever comes out of the West at Barclays Center. 
This surge was probably the biggest news of the past week in the WNBA, but we’ll look back on four others as we get closer to the end of Cup play and creep towards the actual championship game being set. 
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<h2>Liberty on a Run, Back in Commissioner’s Cup Championship</h2>
<div id="attachment_263687" style="width: 2010px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-263687" class="wp-image-263687 size-full" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-16T090610.694.png" alt="" width="2000" height="1125" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-16T090610.694.png 2000w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-16T090610.694-300x169.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-16T090610.694-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-16T090610.694-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-16T090610.694-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />The New York Liberty</div>
New York began the year injured and lacking chemistry. Sabrina Ionescu was not on the court thanks to an ankle injury suffered in the preseason, while Satou Sabally remained out to begin her new tenure with the team. They were 3-4 headed into the final week of May. A lack of offense and, specifically, rebounding, seemed ready to doom what could be one of their last contending seasons with their current core. 
Then, they flipped a switch. New York now holds the second-best defensive rating through June 15 (101.1). They’re averaging five more points per game in June than they were in May. And, they seem to have found a gem in Pauline Astier, who has been filling in nicely for Ionescu. Wins over Phoenix (twice), Indiana, and Atlanta have boosted New York’s stock greatly. They’re playing team ball again at the exact right time.
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<h2>Wilson Continues to Peak in MVP Convo</h2>
The sky is blue, water is wet, and A’ja Wilson is yet again a clear candidate for MVP through just over a month and a half of regular-season games played. After yet another MVP season in 2025, followed by an improbable Finals win borne out of a mid-season team meeting, Wilson is back in the driver’s seat for the illustrious award. Averaging 26.2 points per game along with 9.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 2.4 blocks, and 1.2 steals, she’s also leading the league in PIE, or player impact estimate, through 13 games. 
A recent win over the equally impressive Olivia Miles and the Minnesota Lynx further solidified her campaign. A double-double in that contest, in which she also tallied three blocks and two steals, helped to quiet some of the noise around Miles and a potential ROTY-MVP two-for-one this season. It’s early days still, but Wilson is the head of a 10-3 snake that’s about to land right back in the Commissioner’s Cup Championship potentially.
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<h2>Plum, Copper Duel in High-Scoring Affair</h2>
Both Plum and Copper are part of teams that are underperforming right now. The Los Angeles Sparks are still figuring out their chemistry, but you’d expect them to be a bit better than 7-6 on the year and just 8th in the league. Phoenix’s chemistry shouldn’t even be that disrupted, given that their largest departure of the offseason was Sabally walking for the Liberty. And yet, they’re also sitting at a disappointing 4-11 and at the bottom of the standings. 
So, fans were probably not anticipating these two teams’ clash to be all that entertaining on June 14. Plum and Copper scoffed at that with their respective 40+ point performances, the first game of the year in which a player on both teams recorded that many points. Los Angeles won the battle in overtime, as Phoenix made just one basket in overtime. 
These stars are doing their best to carry their franchises past mediocre and into contention, but the road is arduous with so much talent now distributed across the league. The Finals hangover has been very real for the Mercury, who don’t have much pop on offense this season and aren’t getting any younger. As for Los Angeles, they’re on the precipice of being more consistent, and hopefully this performance from Plum reminds her that she can lead this team.
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<h2>Citron Spoils Mabrey’s Heater</h2>
<div id="attachment_263688" style="width: 2010px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-263688" class="wp-image-263688 size-full" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-16T090755.923.png" alt="" width="2000" height="1125" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-16T090755.923.png 2000w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-16T090755.923-300x169.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-16T090755.923-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-16T090755.923-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-16T090755.923-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />Sonia Citron #22 of the Washington Mystics</div>
In the 4th quarter of the Washington Mystics’ game against the Toronto Tempo this past Saturday, it seemed like the Mystics would be comfortably snagging victory at home to help them stay afloat in the Eastern Conference. 
Then Marina Mabrey hit a three. And another one. And another one. 
She had four three-pointers in the last two minutes of the game, which helped Toronto get within striking distance of Washington when they looked completely out of the contest just minutes prior. Thanks to those shots, Brittney Sykes was able to get free on their last possession, and hit a running layup to give Toronto the lead with 11 seconds to go in the 4th. 
Washington, one of the youngest teams in the league, had to find their offense again after it had been lost for the entire quarter. 
Citron did just that. 
The second-year wing hit a perfect shot at the baseline at the buzzer, getting the Mystics a victory and helping them survive a Mabrey barrage. It was a huge victory against an Eastern Conference team and a fun, tight contest, as we’re seeing more blowouts than usual during this Commissioner’s Cup period.
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<h2>Miles Still Leads ROTY race </h2>
As mentioned, it does feel like Miles might be sneakily piecing together an MVP campaign in addition to her very obvious one for ROTY. And why shouldn’t her play be considered “most valuable?” 
She’s become the leader of a Lynx team still missing Napheesa Collier and has seamlessly become the perfect backcourt mate to Courtney Williams. Her passing is elite, as she’s averaging 5.9 assists per game, but she’s also shooting an efficient 52.5 percent from the field in addition to averaging 5.1 rebounds per game. Her defense has been an unsung part of her game this year, too, as she still leads the league in defensive win shares through 13 games. 
A shoo-in for ROTY? Yes. A dark horse for MVP? Absolutely. And despite a loss to the Aces that snapped their win streak, Miles was fantastic in that contest, posting a game-high 29 points, 50 percent from the three-point line, and four rebounds. But Las Vegas’ defense certainly exposed some rookie-ness, with Miles turning the ball over six times &#8211; a season high &#8211; as well as just recording one assist. 
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five-things-i-like-week-5-2026

5 Things I Like: Commissioner’s Cup 2026 (Part 2)

Similar to last week, this week’s power rankings will offer a hybrid look at each team’s performance in both the overall season and the Commissioner’s Cup.
While Cup play wraps up with a six-game slate on Wednesday, June 17, we already know one of the teams that will compete in the Commissioner’s Cup Championship Game on June 30, after the New York Liberty punched their ticket on Sunday.
Let’s dive into this week’s rankings to see which teams have the best shot at facing the Liberty in the Commissioner’s Cup Championship Game and competing for a share of the $500,000 prize pool.
Note: All stats and records are through games played Sunday, June 14.
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<h2>1. New York Liberty | Overall: 10-4 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 5-0 (+68) ⬆️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 5</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Wed. at CHI, Fri. vs. WAS, Sun. at LAS</li>
</ul>
<div id="attachment_263572" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-263572" class="wp-image-263572" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280992420-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="720" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280992420-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280992420-300x240.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280992420-1024x819.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280992420-768x614.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280992420-1536x1229.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280992420-2048x1638.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Jonquel Jones #35, Breanna Stewart #30, and Leonie Fiebich #13 of the New York Liberty</div>
The Liberty not only clinched the best Commissioner’s Cup record in the East with Sunday’s win over Washington but also their seventh straight victory, giving New York the longest active win streak in the league. The Liberty advanced to the Championship Game for the third time in the last four years, looking to add a second Cup Championship after winning the competition in 2023.
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<h2>2. Las Vegas Aces | Overall: 10-3 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 5-0 (+44) ⬆️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 4</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Mon. at DAL, Wed. at PHX, Sun. vs. GSV</li>
</ul>
As the West’s only unbeaten in Commissioner’s Cup play, the Aces control their own destiny. They need just one win, either against Dallas on Monday or against Phoenix on Wednesday, to clinch their spot in the Cup Championship Game and set up a 2023 rematch with the Liberty. Las Vegas enters the week with two active streaks — six straight wins and 11 consecutive 20+ point games by A’ja Wilson. The four-time MVP already holds the WNBA record for the longest such streak (15 in 2024) and can tie the second-longest streak (12 by Breanna Stewart and Diana Taurasi) with one more 20-piece on Monday.
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<h2>3. Minnesota Lynx | Overall: 10-3 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 4-1 (+78) ⬇️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 1</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Mon. vs. POR, Wed. at LAS, Fri. at GSV, Sun. vs. WAS</li>
</ul>
It’s tough to bump the Lynx down by two spots after just a three-point loss to the defending champs snapped an eight-game win streak. However, that loss was critical in the Commissioner’s Cup race and played a significant role in this week’s rankings. Even in defeat, rookie sensation Olivia Miles continues to shine, posting a career-best 29 points against the Aces.
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<h2>4. Atlanta Dream | Overall: 9-4 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 4-2 (+54) ⬇️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 2</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Thur. at IND, Sat. vs. IND</li>
</ul>
Despite the loss to New York that took them out of contention for the Commissioner’s Cup, the Dream have won three of their last four games entering this week’s two-game set with the Fever. So far this season, the Dream have followed an interesting pattern: winning two games, then losing, then repeating the cycle. They enter Thursday’s game at Indiana coming off a win. Will the pattern hold this week?
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<h2>5. Dallas Wings | Overall: 8-5 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 3-2 (+21) ⬇️</h2>
<div id="attachment_263573" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-263573" class="wp-image-263573" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280846123-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280846123-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280846123-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280846123-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280846123-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280846123-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280846123-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Azzi Fudd #35 and Arike Ogunbowale #24 of the Dallas Wings</div>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 3</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Mon. vs. LVA, Wed. at GSV, Sat. vs. CHI</li>
</ul>
At 3-2 in Cup play, Dallas’ hopes of claiming the West’s berth in the Championship Game are slim. The Wings must not only win their final two games — against Las Vegas and Golden State — but they’ll also need help from other teams to bring down the Aces and Lynx. Outside of Cup play, the Wings are 8-5 on the season and need only three wins to surpass last year’s total of 10 victories. 
<hr />
<h2>6. Golden State Valkyries | Overall: 8-5 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 3-2 (+20) ↔️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 6</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Mon. vs. LAS, Wed. vs. DAL, Fri. vs. MIN, Sun. at LVA </li>
</ul>
After dropping Cup games on the road to Las Vegas and Minnesota — both by five points or less — the Valkyries bounced back with two straight wins last week to keep their slim Championship Game hopes alive. However, this week presents a challenge with a four-game slate that begins against the Sparks (winners of three straight) and the Wings (to close out Cup play), before hosting the Lynx and the Aces, who have both been red-hot of late.
<hr />
<h2>7. Indiana Fever | Overall: 8-5 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 4-1 (+24) ↔️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 7</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Tue. vs. TOR, Thur. vs. ATL, Sat. at ATL</li>
</ul>
The Fever have won three straight games (all against teams in the bottom third of the standings) and four of their last five, but have already been eliminated from Cup play by unbeaten New York. In their win on Thursday, Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston became the first teammates to each post 30-point double-doubles in the same game. Another notable storyline is the balanced scoring between Kelsey Mitchell and Clark, who are both averaging 20.3 ppg (top five in the WNBA). Only twice in WNBA history have teammates averaged 20 or more points over the course of a season (Phoenix in 2008 and 2018).
<hr />
<h2>8. Los Angeles Sparks | Overall: 7-6 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 3-2 (+13) ⬆️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 9</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Mon. at GSV, Wed. vs. MIN, Sun. vs. NYL</li>
</ul>
After falling to Dallas in Kelsey Plum’s first game back from an ankle injury, the Sparks have won three straight games. That stretch includes the historic duel between Plum (43 points) and Phoenix’s Kahleah Copper (41 points), who both set career-highs as they became the first opponents in WNBA history to each score 40 or more points in the same game. Can L.A. ride that momentum into a tough schedule this week with matchups against the Valkyries (8-5), Lynx (10-3) and Liberty (10-4), who are a combined 28-12 on the season?
<hr />
<h2>9. Toronto Tempo | Overall: 7-7 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 2-3 (-20) ⬇️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 8</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Tue. at IND, Fri. at CON</li>
</ul>
The Tempo opened the week on a high note with Brittney Sykes dropping a career-best 38 points to give Toronto a win over Connecticut in its first overtime contest. However, that was followed by consecutive losses, including a heartbreaker at Washington on Sonia Citron’s buzzer-beater. The Tempo will look to bounce back when they visit the Fever and Sun this week as they open their final road trip before a massive nine-game homestand takes them into the All-Star break.
<hr />
<h2>10. Portland Fire | Overall: 7-8 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 1-4 (-56) ↔️</h2>
<div id="attachment_263574" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-263574" class="wp-image-263574" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280827896-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280827896-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280827896-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280827896-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280827896-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280827896-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280827896-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Bridget Carleton #6 of the Portland Fire</div>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 10</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Mon. at MIN, Wed. vs. SEA</li>
</ul>
It took five tries, but the Fire earned their first-ever Commissioner’s Cup win on Saturday as they edged out Dallas to snap a four-game losing streak. Portland opens the week in Minnesota to take on the Lynx in the first of nine road games over its next 11 contests. The Fire are 2-3 on the road so far this season, compared to 5-5 in their league-high 10 home games.  
<hr />
<h2>11. Washington Mystics | Overall: 5-7 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 2-3 (-37) ↔️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 11</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Wed. at CON, Fri. at NYL, Sun. at MIN</li>
</ul>
Sonia Citron’s turnaround fadeaway jumper at the buzzer to beat Toronto on Friday was only her third mid-range bucket of the season, as she typically does her work either in the paint (55.2% of her shots) or beyond the 3-point line (38.8% of her shots). That thrilling win was followed by a loss — Washington’s third in its last four games — to the Liberty as New York clinched its spot in the Commissioner’s Cup Championship Game.
<hr />
<h2>12. Phoenix Mercury | Overall: 4-11 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 2-4 (-54) ↔️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 12</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Wed. vs. LVA, Sat. vs. SEA</li>
</ul>
Kahleah Copper and the Mercury were on the wrong end of a historic duel against Kelsey Plum and the Sparks on Saturday. For Phoenix, it marked a third straight loss and the team&#8217;s ninth defeat in its last 11 games. This week, the Mercury will close out Commissioner’s Cup play against the Aces in a Finals rematch on Wednesday, before hosting the Storm in the second half of ABC’s Saturday doubleheader.
<hr />
<h2>13. Chicago Sky | Overall: 4-9 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 1-4 (-45) ↔️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 13</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Wed. vs. NYL, Sat. at DAL</li>
</ul>
On Thursday, the Sky trailed by as many as 19 points at Indiana before rallying back and ultimately falling in overtime. Leading the comeback was rookie guard Sydney Taylor, who scored a career-best 30 points in just 21 minutes. The undrafted rookie out of Louisville was impressive in her limited minutes. Could that performance earn her a larger role? After dropping eight of their last nine games, the Sky need a spark to help turn their season around. Could that spark come from Taylor, who has the highest-scoring game by a rookie this season?
<hr />
<h2>14. Seattle Storm | Overall: 3-12 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 0-6 (-66) ↔️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 14</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Wed. at POR, Sat. at PHX</li>
</ul>
The Storm have dropped eight straight games, the longest active losing streak in the league and just two shy of the longest skid in franchise history (10 straight in 2023). Seattle’s first shot to get a win comes on Wednesday in a Pacific Northwest clash with the Fire in Portland before heading to Phoenix to close out the week.
<hr />
<h2>15. Connecticut Sun | Overall: 2-13 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 0-5 (-44) ↔️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 15</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Wed. vs. WAS, Fri. vs. TOR</li>
</ul>
Entering this week, the Sun have dropped five straight games — including three decided by single digits. Their first chance to end that skid is Wednesday against Washington in the Commissioner’s Cup finale for both teams. After playing a league-high nine road games so far this season, the Sun continue their six-game homestand this week.

2026-wnba-power-rankings-week-5

2026 WNBA Power Rankings: Commissioner’s Cup (Week 2)

As expected, the tip-off to Commissioner’s Cup action has brought potential contenders to the forefront of the league. The Minnesota Lynx, sans Napheesa Collier, continued to thrive this week, while the New York Liberty currently lead the way in the Eastern Conference through one week of the Cup following an up-and-down start to their season. 
The standings have the Lynx with the largest point differential in the Cup through one week (+57), but the Dallas Wings are on their tail with a 2-0 record in Cup play and a 31+ point differential. The Liberty only have a +23 differential, while the Atlanta Dream sit behind them in wins but have a greater point differential (+36). 
These are the five things that really popped off the screen for me through this first week of Cup action. 
<hr />
<h2>Shepard Continues to Shine</h2>
<div id="attachment_262969" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-262969" class="wp-image-262969" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2279479823-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2279479823-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2279479823-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2279479823-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2279479823-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2279479823-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2279479823-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Jessica Shepard #32 of the Dallas Wings</div>
Not many could’ve seen Shepard being one of the best free agent signings from the 2026 season. 
 
The former Minnesota Lynx forward had always shown flashes of being a threat as a facilitator and rebounder, but not to the extent that she’s showing it off with the Dallas Wings in 2026. She’s averaging 11.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists in addition to 13.5 points per game, and through the Wings’ current Cup run and winning streak, she has been leading the Wings in rebounds. 
It helps that Shepard is surrounded by shooting threats Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd, and Arike Ogunbowale. She is free to roam thanks to the gravity that they attract, and it’s made even easier for Shepard when teams are giving attention to Dallas’ other frontcourt threat in Alanna Smith. She finally has the range to lead a team’s frontcourt in general and to shine with a young, up-and-coming group as a passer and defender. 
<hr />
<h2>Rhyne’s Electric Kick-off to the Cup</h2>
Howard took a while to get into a groove to begin the year for the Atlanta Dream, but she exploded for 36 points in the Dream’s first win of the Cup. Her 42 percent shooting from deep in their opening game against the Connecticut Sun helped Atlanta to set the tone for what’s currently their winning point differential in the Eastern Conference. 
Howard’s aggressiveness as a scorer is going to make or break Atlanta’s chances in a tight Eastern Conference overall. Between her and Allisha Gray, the Dream have enough perimeter firepower to force teams to respect the perimeter defensively, leaving players like Angel Reese and Madina Okot open in the post. In their loss to the Indiana Fever, Howard only took nine shots and five three-pointers- that’s simply not enough. 
The win over the Sun and Howard’s hand in it showed exactly what she has to offer as one of the league’s most valuable wings. 
<hr />
<h2>Aces Beginning to Roll</h2>
<div id="attachment_262968" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-262968" class="wp-image-262968" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280624789-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="658" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280624789-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280624789-300x220.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280624789-1024x749.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280624789-768x562.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280624789-1536x1124.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280624789-2048x1499.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />A&#8217;ja Wilson #22 and Jackie Young #0 of the Las Vegas Aces</div>
Jackie Young is an underrated cog in the machine that has been the Aces since 2019. When the guard is aggressive &#8211; just as Howard must be &#8211; it’s difficult to defend Las Vegas’ starting lineup. It’s death by a thousand cuts. If you double Young or Gray, they can both make you pay with drives and kick-outs to the perimeter, and A’ja Wilson lurks from all three levels as a threat. 
Young has been a big spark so far in Las Vegas’ Cup run, nearly recording a triple-double in their first Cup game against the Los Angeles Sparks with 16 points and nine assists, and hitting 27 points on 75 percent three-point shooting along with five rebounds and five assists in their second contest against the Golden State Valkyries. 
Her two-way prowess is beginning to rear its head again at the best time for Las Vegas, which is the third-best three-point shooting team in the league over the last five games and the third-best facilitating team in the league over that same stretch. A ton of that has to do with Young’s resurgence. 
<hr />
<h2>Minnesota Firing on All Cylinders Behind Miles</h2>
Olivia Miles’ circus assists and top-line defense have really begun to extend beyond a Rookie of the Year campaign. At this point, it might be fair to ask when Miles should enter the All-WNBA conversation in Year 1 as a first-team member. 
Without Collier, Minnesota has managed to snag a humongous point differential thanks to Miles’ team-leading 6.4 assists per game and 17.2 points per game. The rookie is not playing like one, and that’s a huge compliment. Behind her play, the team has dominated two of its three Cup games so far. 
Defensively, Miles continues to lead the league in defensive win shares. She stays with her assignment with seeming ease on defense, and her active hands become a huge problem when considering the threat she poses in transition alongside Courtney Williams. 
Minnesota is going to be dangerous if they manage to get Collier back by the time they could compete for the Cup championship. 
<hr />
<h2>Sykes Providing Tempo with momentum </h2>
While the Toronto Tempo might not be getting as much shine as the Portland Fire this season, with the Fire having a ton more high-octane wins this year, the Tempo are clearly beginning to find their footing thanks to their experienced coaching and their stars. Sykes has taken the reins recently for Toronto, averaging 17.4 points per game over their last five contests and scoring 25 against the Chicago Sky in a critical Eastern Conference matchup in Cup play. Her defense and rebounding have also been key to Toronto staying afloat. 
While Toronto figures out how to get through their next few contests without rookie guard Kiki Rice, who is down with an ankle sprain, Sykes seems to be the obvious next player up for Toronto as they try to gain consistency. The Cup offers them extra motivation to freely hoop, which is what Sykes and Marina Mabrey are often hellbent on doing.

five-things-i-like-week-4-2026

Five Things I Like: Commissioner's Cup 2026 (Part 1)

Power Rankings

Over the next two weeks, the weekly power rankings will offer a hybrid look at each team’s play in both the overall season and the Commissioner’s Cup.
The overall power ranking will reflect a team’s performance over the entire season, but the Commissioner’s Cup standings could come into play when it comes to tiebreakers and close calls.
A quick reminder that Commissioner’s Cup play runs from June 1–17, with all games played during that time counting toward both the regular season and Cup standings. The team from each conference with the top record in Commissioner’s Cup games will compete in the Commissioner’s Cup Championship Game on June 30.
Note: All stats and records are through games played on Sunday, June 7.
<hr />
<h2>1. Minnesota Lynx | Overall: 9-2 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 3-0 (+57) ↔️</h2>
<div id="attachment_262819" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-262819" class="wp-image-262819" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2279565865-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2279565865-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2279565865-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2279565865-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2279565865-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2279565865-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2279565865-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Olivia Miles #5 of the Minnesota Lynx</div>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 1</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Tue. vs. DAL, Sat. at LVA</li>
</ul>
The Minnesota Lynx keep winning, and Olivia Miles keeps shining. The Lynx went 3-0 in the opening week of Cup play to sit atop the West standings with an unblemished record and a massive plus-57 point differential. In their lone close game of the week, rookie phenom Olivia Miles broke the WNBA record for 3-pointers made in a game with eight triples in 11 tries.
<hr />
<h2>2. Atlanta Dream | Overall: 7-3 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 2-1 (+36) ↔️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 2</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Tue. at CHI, Thu. vs. NYL, Sun. at TOR</li>
</ul>
Despite suffering an early loss in Cup play, Atlanta remains in a strong position to strike should unbeaten New York (2-0) falter, thanks to a plus-36 point differential through three games. The Dream get their chance against the Liberty on Thursday, between road games in Chicago and Toronto.
<hr />
<h2>3. Dallas Wings | Overall: 7-3 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 2-0 (+31) ↔️</h2>
Last Week: 3
This Week: Tue. at MIN, Thu. vs. PHX, Sat. at POR
Winners of four straight and six of their last seven, the Wings are the hottest team in the league outside of Minnesota (and slightly ahead of New York). After opening Cup play against the Storm and Sparks (and their combined 9-13 record), the Wings open the second week of Cup play with a showdown against the Lynx in Minnesota.
<hr />
<h2>4. Las Vegas Aces | Overall: 7-3 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 2-0 (+15) ↔️</h2>
Last Week: 4
This Week: Mon. vs. SEA, Thu. at POR, Sat. vs. MIN
A’ja Wilson (26.5 ppg, 14.5 rpg) and Jackie Young (21.5 ppg, 61.5% 3P) ranked first and fifth, respectively, in scoring over the past week as the Aces took down both California squads — the Sparks and Valkyries — to open Cup play. Both players came up big in clutch time as Las Vegas earned its first home win of the season in an 84-79 victory over Golden State. Can the Aces extend their three-game win streak when they face Seattle, Portland, and red-hot Minnesota this week?
<hr />
<h2>5. New York Liberty | Overall: 7-4 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 2-0 (+23) ⬆️</h2>
<div id="attachment_262820" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-262820" class="wp-image-262820" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2279700874-2-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2279700874-2-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2279700874-2-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2279700874-2-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2279700874-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2279700874-2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2279700874-2-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Breanna Stewart #30 of the New York Liberty</div>
Last Week: 6
This Week: Mon. at CON, Thu. at ATL, Sun. vs WAS
After dropping the first three games of their season-long seven-game homestand, the Liberty closed it out with four straight wins, including victories over the Tempo and Fever to begin Cup play. Now the Liberty must take the show on the road, with seven of their next nine June games taking place outside the friendly confines of Barclays Center. It begins with a two-game trip to Connecticut and Atlanta as New York looks to stay unbeaten in Cup play.
<hr />
<h2>6. Golden State Valkyries | Overall: 6-5 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 1-2 (+10) ⬇️</h2>
Last Week: 5
This Week: Tue. vs. PHX, Fri. at SEA
After opening Cup play with a win over Portland, the Valkyries dropped back-to-back close games to the Lynx (87-84) and Aces (84-79) by a combined eight points. That’s how they still have a plus-10 point differential despite their 1-2 record in Cup play. Only two teams in the event’s history — the 2021 Storm (8-2) and 2023 Liberty (8-3) — have reached the Championship Game with multiple losses.
<hr />
<h2>7. Indiana Fever | Overall: 5-5 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 1-1 (+4) ⬆️</h2>
Last Week: 8
This Week: Mon. at WAS, Thu. vs. CHI, Sat. at CON
Holding a 12-point lead late in the third quarter on Saturday, the Fever appeared poised to knock off the Liberty and improve to 2-0 in Cup play before being outscored 38-18 the rest of the way, falling to 1-1 in Cup play and 5-5 overall. The defending Commissioner’s Cup champs will look to get back on track this week with matchups against Washington, Chicago and Connecticut, who enter the week a combined 10-22 overall and 2-5 in Cup play.
<hr />
<h2>8. Toronto Tempo | Overall: 6-5 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 1-1 (+2) ⬆️</h2>
Last Week: 9
This Week: Wed. vs. CON, Fri. at WAS, Sun. vs. ATL
After dropping their first-ever Commissioner’s Cup game to the Liberty on Wednesday, the Tempo bounced back with a win over Chicago behind 25 points from Brittney Sykes. Isabelle Harrison added 14 points and six boards in 17 minutes off the bench in her Tempo debut after missing the first 10 games of the season. Toronto has won three of its last four games and will look to ride that momentum into this week’s three-game slate.
<hr />
<h2>9. Los Angeles Sparks | Overall: 5-6 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 1-2 (-1) ⬆️</h2>
Last Week: 10
This Week: Wed. at SEA, Sat. at PHX
WNBA leading scorer Kelsey Plum returned for the Sparks on Friday after missing three games with an ankle injury, but her 27 points were not enough to help L.A. overcome Dallas as the Sparks dropped to 0-2 in Cup play. On Sunday, the Sparks got in the win column with a victory over Portland behind double-doubles from Nneka Ogwumike and Dearica Hamby. After a 1-2 homestand, the Sparks hit the road for a three-game trip, beginning Wednesday in Seattle, where Ogumike played the last two seasons.
<hr />
<h2>10. Portland Fire | Overall: 6-7 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 0-3 (-41) ⬇️</h2>
<div id="attachment_262821" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-262821" class="wp-image-262821" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280404709-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="587" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280404709-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280404709-300x196.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280404709-1024x668.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280404709-768x501.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280404709-1536x1002.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280404709-2048x1336.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Carla Leite #0 of the Portland Fire</div>
Last Week: 7
This Week: Thu. vs. LVA, Sat. vs. DAL
The Fire had won four of their last five games as they entered their first-ever Commissioner’s Cup last week. However, they were unable to carry that momentum into victories as they dropped their first three Cup contests to Golden State, Phoenix and L.A. The schedule doesn’t get any easier with Las Vegas and Dallas — both 2-0 in Cup play — coming to visit Portland this week.
<hr />
<h2>11. Washington Mystics | Overall: 4-5 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 1-1 (-14) ↔️</h2>
Last Week: 11
This Week: Mon. vs. IND, Fri. vs. TOR, Sun. at NYL
Washington has hovered around .500 all season long, trading wins and losses virtually the entire season (outside of consecutive losses in mid-May). After splitting their opening games in Cup play, the Mystics will try to finally string together some wins when they host Indiana and Toronto before closing out the week in New York.
<hr />
<h2>12. Phoenix Mercury | Overall: 4-8 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 2-1 (-24) ⬆️</h2>
Last Week: 14
This Week: Tue. at GSV, Thu. at DAL, Sat. vs. LAS
After dropping six straight games — their longest losing streak since 2023 — the Mercury won back-to-back road games in Seattle and Portland to open Cup play at 2-1, albeit with a minus-24-point differential after a 34-point loss to Minnesota. The Mercury were shorthanded in their win over the Fire on Friday, playing without starters Alyssa Thomas (calf) and Kahleah Copper (hip). Both are listed as day-to-day as Phoenix gets set to open a three-game slate in Golden State on Tuesday.
<hr />
<h2>13. Chicago Sky | Overall: 4-7 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 1-2 (-30) ⬇️</h2>
Last Week: 12
This Week: Tue. at ATL, Thu. at IND
With 11 games played, Chicago is at the quarter-mark of the 2026 season. Entering this week having dropped five of their last six games, the Sky are searching for answers as they look to get on track. Two positive signs emerged from the past week: Azura Stevens is coming off back-to-back double-doubles — her first two of the season in six games played — and rookie Gabriela Jaquez (knee) returned from a four-game absence on Sunday. The Sky hit the road this week to face the Dream and Fever; so far this season, the Sky have been better on the road (3-3) than at home (1-4).
<hr />
<h2>14. Seattle Storm | Overall: 3-9 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 0-3 (-47) ⬇️</h2>
Last Week: 13
This Week: Mon. at LVA, Wed. vs. LAS, Fri. vs. GSV
The Storm opened Cup play with losses to Dallas, Phoenix, and Minnesota, extending their losing streak to five straight games. Seattle’s challenges continue to be on the offensive side of the court. Seattle ranks last in points per game (75.0), field goal percentage (39.6%), and offensive rating (94.3). While the Storm hold the league’s fourth-ranked defense (102.9 defensive rating), their imbalance has been too much to overcome.
<hr />
<h2>15. Connecticut Sun | Overall: 2-10 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 0-2 (-21) ↔️</h2>
Last Week: 15
This Week: Mon. vs. NYL, Wed. at TOR, Sat. vs. IND
The Sun have dropped two straight and five of their last six games. Similar to Seattle, Connecticut has struggled offensively (its 94.5 offensive rating is only 0.2 points higher than the Storm&#8217;s). Unlike Seattle, Connecticut does not hold a top-five defense. Rather, the Sun rank 14th in the league on both ends of the court, which has led to a -15.3 net rating (the Sun are outscored by 15.3 points per 100 possessions), on pace to be the lowest mark since 2020.

2026-wnba-power-rankings-week-4

2026 WNBA Power Rankings: Commissioner's Cup (Week 1)

When the season kicked off, would you have believed me if I told you that one of the top contending teams in the WNBA would be the Golden State Valkyries?
If you’re an avid member of Balhalla, then yes, you probably knew that. If not, you might be shocked to see that Golden State &#8211; following their extremely successful debut season in 2025 &#8211; are 5-3, and coming off an emphatic victory against the Indiana Fever this past week. They’re keeping pace with the Las Vegas Aces, Atlanta Dream, Dallas Wings, and Minnesota Lynx atop the standings and are doing so with a balanced attack led by Veronica Burton. 
This exciting surge has landed them at the front of my mind ahead of this week’s list of five things I really liked from Week 3 of the WNBA. 
<hr />
<h2>Golden State Soars Behind Defense</h2>
<div id="attachment_262152" style="width: 2010px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-262152" class="wp-image-262152 size-full" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-01T144254.055.png" alt="" width="2000" height="1125" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-01T144254.055.png 2000w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-01T144254.055-300x169.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-01T144254.055-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-01T144254.055-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-01T144254.055-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />Veronica Burton #22 of the Golden State Valkyries</div>
The Valkyries’ defense was their biggest key to winning against the Fever in their second game in the same week. After a bit of a testy game between the two franchises, the Valkyries came into this game fired up and motivated to snag a win. Veronica Burton had a rocking five blocks against the Fever in addition to six rebounds, three assists, and a team-high 25 points. 
So far this year, the Valkyries are third in the league in defensive rating (101.6), second in net rating (7.3), and second in assists to turnovers (1.74). They’re playing highly efficient basketball with an emphasis on making their opponents feel them on the defensive end, and that has everything to do with the culture that Burton and head coach Natalie Nakase are establishing in the Bay. And, home game crowds are becoming a sneaky Sixth Player of the Year candidate. 
<hr />
<h2>Kiki Rice Enters ROTY Chat</h2>
While Olivia Miles might be taking a stranglehold of the Rookie of the Year race, we can’t be too quick to write off some other big-name picks from this year’s draft. Azzi Fudd just had quite a signature moment at Barclays Center in a huge Dallas Wings win over the New York Liberty, and Rice is continuing to thrive with bigger minutes for the Toronto Tempo. 
Rice, while averaging 27 minutes per game through nine games, is now averaging 13.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game. Her three-point shooting is what’s really separating her from the pack for the Tempo, hitting 40.6 percent of her three-pointers on a decent diet of 2.4 shots per game. 
Rice’s play on the floor is not that of a rookie &#8211; and that’s a great thing for Toronto. She plays with the confidence of a veteran floor general, unafraid of contact and ready to drag defenders into the paint with her to create offense. That’s a huge load off the shoulders of Brittney Sykes, Marina Mabrey, and Nyara Sabally. If we’re speaking to the impact of rookies on their teams so far, Rice needs to firmly be in the conversation following her four steal, 17-point, and six rebound performance against the Seattle Storm in the Tempo’s latest win. 
<hr />
<h2>The Impeding Horror of the Lynx</h2>
<div id="attachment_262154" style="width: 2010px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-262154" class="wp-image-262154 size-full" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-01T144614.075.png" alt="" width="2000" height="1125" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-01T144614.075.png 2000w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-01T144614.075-300x169.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-01T144614.075-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-01T144614.075-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/Thumbnail-2026-06-01T144614.075-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />The Minnesota Lynx</div>
This is not a horror story, mind you, for fans of the Lynx. Rather, this is the sound of the horror that will soon be a fully healthy Minnesota team that’s already atop the league in the standings. Without Napheesa Collier or Dorka Juhasz playing a single minute so far in 2025. This is simply the result of a team with so much chemistry following a disappointing 2025 campaign, able to soar through the competition without their potential MVP. 
How is Minnesota achieving this success? 
A lot of it has to do with their defense. They’re averaging five blocks per game along with 8.5 steals and 37.6 rebounds, all while limiting their personal fouls committed to just 20.4 per game. With a 96.4 defensive rating, their impact is being felt. On the glass, they’re getting their work in, and that’s in major thanks to veterans Natasha Howard, Nia Coffey, and Courtney Williams. Their rebounding is preventing other teams from gaining second-chance scoring opportunities, which helps remedy their lack of size outside of Howard and Coffey in the frontcourt. 
Oh, and Miles is leading the league in defensive win shares as a rookie. 
Again, this impact is being felt without Collier in the lineup. A lot was made of the team losing both Alanna Smith and Jessica Shepard in the offseason, and so far, it looks like the Lynx didn’t think much of it at all. They’re going to be unbelievably potent when fully healthy, and that’s a scary idea for the rest of the league. 
<hr />
<h2>Can Monique Akoa Makani Save Phoenix?</h2>
The Mercury, despite entering this season with a healthy Kahleah Copper and Alyssa Thomas, have looked worse for wear. They’re 2-7 headed into Commissioner’s Cup play, and they don’t have a ton of available answers to their woes. 
 
They’re middling in both defensive and offensive ratings and are allowing opponents to shoot 52.8 percent from the field. But they’re still doing a good job of forcing opponents to find their scoring outside of the paint &#8211; they’re only allowing them to score 32.7 points from there &#8211; but, that’s not really doing much to contribute to their win column. 
Phoenix’s star rookie from last season, Monique Akoa Makani, just got inserted into the starting lineup over their rookie this year, Jovana Nogic, to see if they can find any spark defensively. In two games played so far, she’s already the top Phoenix player in defensive win shares with 0.222, showing just how impactful she can be on that end of the floor as a starter. But can just one player really change the course of what has so far been a disappointing start to a potential contender’s season? Phoenix will need more than just her activity against guards to revitalize their team, although replacing Nogic in the lineup with her is a great start towards that goal. 
<hr />
<h2>Portland Megan Gustafson Says What We’re All Thinking</h2>
After a historic year for the Valkyries in 2025, it wasn’t anticipated that the next two expansion franchises on deck, the Fire and Tempo, could re-create that same magic. 
Let veteran center Megan Gustafson tell it, though, and you’d be a fool for having doubted these two teams’ ability to succeed in this league right away. 
Gustafson had an emotional press conference following the Fire’s win over the Fever on Saturday, telling reporters that she’s never felt as valued before in her eight-year WNBA career as she does with Portland. 
&#8220;I mean, we&#8217;re a bunch of overlooked players, and I think we all have a chip on our shoulder. I&#8217;ve really never been respected as a basketball player until I&#8217;ve gotten here, so I&#8217;m really thankful for this team, this organization. They really believe in me.”
Gustafson made these comments on the tail end of a historic evening from the Fire, with her 22 points contributing to the largest scoring game in their history (so far). The Moda Center was living and dying by every shot from Portland, and their excitement was probably helped along by the fact that the team looked so confident against a team like the Fever. 
These overlooked players who have made up these last three expansion teams have been written off for most of their careers. They’ve found new life and new opportunities with these new squads, to the point where even veterans like Gustafson feel like they’ve been revitalized.

five-things-i-like-week-3-2026

Five Things I Like: Week 3 2026

The first three weeks of the 2026 season have served as a warm-up for the sixth annual <a href="https://www.wnba.com/commissioners-cup/2026">Commissioner’s Cup</a> presented by Coinbase.
The WNBA’s in-season tournament tips off Monday, June 1, and runs through the 17th, with all 49 games played during that time counting toward the regular-season and Commissioner Cup standings.
The team from each conference with the top record in Commissioner’s Cup games will compete in the Commissioner’s Cup Championship Game and a $500,000 prize pool on Tuesday, June 30.
In addition to providing <a href="https://www.wnba.com/news/comissioners-cup-2026-primer">exciting games with elevated stakes</a> early in the regular season, the Commissioner’s Cup has also provided a glimpse of how the postseason field can shake out. Several recent Cup winners and runners-up have gone on to reach the WNBA Finals in the same season. Will that trend continue in 2026?
As the competition gets set to tip off, let’s take a closer look at what we’ve seen from each team in the field and how they stack up against one another in this week’s Power Rankings.
Note: All stats and records are through games played on Sunday, May 31.
<hr />
<h2>1. Minnesota Lynx (6-2) ⬆️</h2>
<div id="attachment_262137" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-262137" class="wp-image-262137" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2278845770-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2278845770-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2278845770-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2278845770-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2278845770-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2278845770-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2278845770-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Courtney Williams #10 and Olivia Miles #5 of the Minnesota Lynx</div>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 5</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Mon. at PHX, Thu. vs. GSV, Sat. vs. SEA</li>
</ul>
The 2024 Commissioner’s Cup champions (and 2025 runners-up) enter the competition on a hot streak, winning four straight games to rise to the top of the standings. Despite missing two players from last year’s All-Defensive First Team – Napheesa Collier (injury) and co-Defensive Player of the Year Alanna Smith (signed with Dallas) – the Lynx still own the league’s top defensive rating (96.8). They also have an early frontrunner for Rookie of the Year in Olivia Miles, who leads all first-year players in points (15.4) and assists (5.9) and ranks second in rebounds (5.1).
<hr />
<h2>2. Atlanta Dream (5-2) ↔️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 2</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Tue vs. CON, Thu. at IND, Sat. vs. WAS</li>
</ul>
The league’s only other two-loss team, the Dream, fell to the Lynx on Wednesday before bouncing back with a 20-point win over Portland. Similar to the Lynx, the Dream are leading with defense. Atlanta holds the league’s second-best defensive rating (100.0), allows the fewest 3-pointers made, the fewest free throws attempted and forces the third-most turnovers. But their 11th-ranked offensive rating (105.0) will need to climb in order to contend for the Cup.
<hr />
<h2>3. Dallas Wings (5-3) ⬆️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 6</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Mon. vs. SEA, Fri. at LAS</li>
</ul>
The Wings only had one game on their schedule in Week 3, and Jessica Shepard made the most of it, posting only the second 20-20-10 game in the WNBA’s 30-year history. She finished with 22 points, 20 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 95-87 win over the defending champion Aces to join Alyssa Thomas in the record books. After a 1-2 start, the Wings have won four of their last five as they enter Cup play.
<hr />
<h2>4. Las Vegas Aces (5-3) ⬇️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 1</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Tue. at LAS, Sat. vs. GSV</li>
</ul>
After giving up that big game to Dallas’ Shepard and losing their third game of the early season, the Aces bounced back with a 91-81 win over the Valkyries to enter Cup play on a winning note and make Becky Hammon the second-fastest coach to reach 150 wins. Las Vegas is one of three teams, along with New York and Minnesota, to reach the Cup Championship Game twice, and will look to get back to that stage for the first time since 2023 as the competition gets underway.
<hr />
<h2>5. Golden State Valkyries (5-3) ⬇️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 4</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Tue. vs. POR, Thu. at MIN, Sat. at LVA</li>
</ul>
Following a blowout win over Connecticut, the Valkyries earned their first clutch win of the season with a 90-88 victory over Indiana. But they were unable to complete a perfect week, falling to Las Vegas on Sunday. The Valkyries open Cup play with a challenging first week, facing a trio of teams — Portland (6-4), Minnesota (6-2), and Las Vegas (5-3) — with a combined 17-9 record to open the season. Can the Valkyries run that gauntlet and make an early statement in Cup competition?
<hr />
<h2>6. New York Liberty (5-4) ⬆️</h2>
<div id="attachment_262138" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-262138" class="wp-image-262138" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2278135644-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="599" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2278135644-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2278135644-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2278135644-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2278135644-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2278135644-1536x1023.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2278135644-2048x1364.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />The New York Liberty</div>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 7</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Wed. vs. TOR, Sat. vs. IND</li>
</ul>
New York snapped a three-game skid with back-to-back wins over the Mercury that showcased the Liberty’s depth. On Wednesday, it was Marine Johannes (21 points on seven 3s) and Jonquel Jones (scoring 10 of her 17 points during a 23-0 third-quarter run) who led the way. Two days later, it was Pauline Astier (16 points and 6 assists) and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton (13 points in 15 bench minutes) who paced New York. If the Liberty hope to return to the Cup Championship for the third time in four years, getting Sabrina Ionescu (who has played in only one game) back on the court healthy will be key.
<hr />
<h2>7. Portland Fire (6-4) ⬆️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 9</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Tue. at GSV, Fri. vs. PHX, Sun. at LAS</li>
</ul>
The busiest team in the WNBA in Week 3 emerged with a 3-1 record over the past seven days, picking up wins over New York, Connecticut, and Indiana, compared to only a single loss to Atlanta. The Fire will make their Commissioner’s Cup debut on Tuesday when they visit Ballhalla to take on the Valkyries in the Bay. Portland is 6-4 through its first 10 games, just ahead of Golden State’s 5-5 pace in its inaugural season a year ago. The expansion team enters Cup play as the league&#8217;s best clutch team, going 4-0 in games with the score within five points in the final five minutes.
<hr />
<h2>8. Indiana Fever (4-4) ⬇️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 3</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Thu. vs. ATL, Sat. at NYL</li>
</ul>
Last year, the Fever became the fifth different team in the event’s five-year history to win the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup. Now, they’ll attempt to do something their four predecessors could not — successfully defend the Cup title. That defense gets started this week with matchups against the Dream and Liberty. Indy is coming off consecutive road losses to Golden State and Portland, the latter of which saw Caitlin Clark limited to a season-low six points in 22 minutes as she battled foul trouble. Any attempt at a successful Cup defense will need some big games from Clark over the next few weeks.
<hr />
<h2>9. Toronto Tempo (5-4) ⬆️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 12</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Wed. at NYL, Sun. vs. CHI</li>
</ul>
The Tempo get their first taste of Commissioner’s Cup action this week when they visit the Liberty on Wednesday before hosting the Sky on Sunday. Toronto is coming off back-to-back wins over Chicago and Seattle last week and will go for their first-ever three-game win streak when they face the Liberty for the first time.
<hr />
<h2>10. Los Angeles Sparks (4-4) ↔️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 10</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Tue. vs. LVA, Fri. vs. DAL, Sun. vs. POR</li>
</ul>
We know the Sparks will open Cup play on Tuesday when they host the Aces. We don’t know if Kelsey Plum will be on the court. The WNBA’s leading scorer at 26.8 points per game has missed L.A.’s last two games after suffering a sprained ankle in practice last week. She is set to be evaluated on Tuesday to determine her status for the Cup opener. Playing without Plum last week, the Sparks edged out Washington before falling to Connecticut, giving the Sun just their second win of the season.
<hr />
<h2>11. Washington Mystics (3-4) ⬆️</h2>
<div id="attachment_262139" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-262139" class="wp-image-262139" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2278131579-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="720" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2278131579-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2278131579-300x240.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2278131579-1024x819.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2278131579-768x614.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2278131579-1536x1229.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2278131579-2048x1638.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Shakira Austin #0 of the Washington Mystics</div>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 13</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Tue. vs. CHI, Sat. at ATL</li>
</ul>
With all Commissioner’s Cup games being played over the next 17 days, a hot streak can elevate a team, while a losing streak may spell doom. The Mystics have yet to win consecutive games so far this season, coming up short on all three occasions. Stacking wins is something the Mystics must do if they hope to make a run at the Cup Championship Game.
<hr />
<h2>12. Chicago Sky (3-5) ⬇️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 8</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Tue. at WAS, Fri. vs. CON, Sun. at TOR</li>
</ul>
After a promising 3-1 start to the season, the Sky have dropped four straight games, falling in both the standings and these rankings. Chicago, the 2022 Cup runner-up, faces a three-game slate in the opening week of Cup competition. Following matchups with the Mystics and Sun, the Sky will have their second shot at the expansion Tempo after Toronto earned an 111-104 win last week. The Tempo lived up to their name, posting a WNBA season-high 111 points.
<hr />
<h2>13. Seattle Storm (3-6) ⬇️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 11</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Mon. at DAL, Wed. vs. PHX, Sat. at MIN</li>
</ul>
The Storm’s roster looked very different from what it does now when they won the inaugural Commissioner&#8217;s Cup Championship in 2021. That 2021 roster featured Sue Bird (retired), Breanna Stewart (now with New York), and Jewell Loyd (now with Las Vegas). The only players remaining from that 2021 Cup championship roster are Katie Lou Samuelson (who has appeared in just three games) and Ezi Magbegor (who has yet to play this season). A key player to watch if she is able to return for this week’s trio of Cup games is Dominique Malonga, who played in only three games after missing the past six due to a concussion.
<hr />
<h2>14. Phoenix Mercury (2-7) ↔️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 14</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Mon. vs. MIN, Wed. at SEA, Fri. at POR</li>
</ul>
Phoenix opens up Commissioner’s Cup play on Monday against Minnesota, looking to snap the WNBA’s longest active losing streak. After opening the season 2-2, the Mercury have dropped five straight games, including consecutive losses to New York in Week 3. Following their Cup opener at home against the Lynx, the Mercury head to the Pacific Northwest to face the Storm and Fire to close out the week.
<hr />
<h2>15. Connecticut Sun (2-8) ↔️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 15</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Tue. at ATL, Fri. at CHI</li>
</ul>
The Sun became the first-ever Commissioner’s Cup runner-up back in 2021. But Connecticut has not been back to the Championship Stage since. After defeating the Sparks on Saturday to snap a three-game skid, the Sun will visit the Dream on Tuesday and the Sky on Friday to open up Group Play.

2026-power-rankings-week-3

2026 WNBA Power Rankings: Week Three

The Golden State Valkyries’ major success in Year 1 of their franchise’s existence was considered an anomaly. They were the first expansion team to make the postseason in their very first season, and they looked like a legitimate threat to the order of things before injuries hampered them down the stretch. 
Surely no one expects the WNBA’s other two new franchises in 2026, the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo, to make similar noise…right?
Believe it or not, but the Tempo and Fire are crawling up the standings. Toronto, which had its heart snatched by the Washington Mystics in their home opener, has since looked like a well-oiled machine thanks to high-flying performances from Brittney Sykes and Marina Mabrey. The Fire also just can’t stop being clutch, with Sarah Ashlee Barker becoming a typical feature for the Fire in the 4th quarter. 
These teams’ victories over the last week, plus a surprising standings riser, a rookie arrival on a national stage, and more, all shaped up an exciting week of WNBA action. 
<hr />
<h2>Tempo and Fire Finding Their Groove</h2>
<div id="attachment_261611" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-261611" class="wp-image-261611" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277903090-1-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277903090-1-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277903090-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277903090-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277903090-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277903090-1-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277903090-1-2048x1366.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Sarah Ashlee Barker #3 of the Portland Fire</div>
Neither of the expansion franchises was really expected to make noise this season, but they’ve quickly established their respective cultures, which have helped them maintain some momentum in the standings. Toronto’s victory over the Phoenix Mercury this past week was most impressive, led by Sykes and Mabrey’s 30+ point performances. Despite some thinned-out frontcourt depth, they managed to keep up defensive pressure behind rookie Kiki Rice’s two steals in that game and 27 team defensive rebounds. 
Portland’s most impressive win of the week came against the Connecticut Sun. While the Sun are struggling this year, that contest went down to the wire. And, once again, Barker was a huge piece of that victory. Her 18 points &#8211; plus a clutch bucket from Sug Sutton &#8211; propelled the Fire to a win over the Sun.
Both teams are finding ways to succeed with their brand-new coaches and teammates. It just goes to show how much talent is lurking in this league when two more expansion franchises are finding success so early in their tenures. 
<hr />
<h2>Los Angeles with a Spark</h2>
Kelsey Plum was on the road to an MVP-caliber season in 2025 prior to Los Angeles’ slippage in the standings, thanks to numerous injuries to starters. This season, with a healthy Cameron Brink in tow in addition to the return of Nneka Ogwumike to the team, they’ve begun to look like the very team that Plum was leading last season. 
Three-point shooting was an area of concern for Los Angeles last season, so their 37.1 percent shooting percentage this season &#8211; a league-best &#8211; should be cause for celebration. They’ve been moving the ball well early on this season, too, with an average of 20.8 assists per game. With Ogwumike back on the floor, their shooting percentages should reach even greater heights. The spacing created by Plum, Rae Burrell, and Ogwumike can open things up for Brink and Dearica Hamby in the front court. 
They’ve begun rising up the standings behind Plum’s lights-out shooting, and just sealed a hugely impressive win over the Las Vegas Aces this past week. Los Angeles seems to have finally found their groove behind a healthy frontcourt and with some help around Plum. 
<hr />
<h2>Most Dangerous Teams in Transition </h2>
<div id="attachment_261613" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-261613" class="wp-image-261613" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277379991-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277379991-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277379991-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277379991-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277379991-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277379991-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277379991-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />NaLyssa Smith #3 and A&#8217;ja Wilson #22 of the Las Vegas Aces</div>
Being able to take advantage of opposing defenses through an efficient transition offense can make or break a win. It’s no coincidence, then, that some of the top teams in the league are also some of the fastest. 
The Aces led all teams in PACE this week, which measures how many possessions a team has over 40 minutes of a game. This means they’re controlling the tempo, making teams pay for not securing boards, and using their speedier, sharper guards alongside their talented frontcourt to create a juggernaut offense. 
A surprising team sitting just behind Las Vegas in pace is Chicago (99.60). They’ve found the perfect key to unlock their own frontcourt in Skylar Diggins, who’s averaging a team-high 5.4 assists per game so far this year. Just behind her is another speedy guard in Natasha Cloud, who helps to push the Sky’s pace. We shouldn’t be shocked that they’re remaining steadily around .500 or higher this year, given this potent aspect to their offense. 
Indiana is, of course, a huge threat in this area thanks to Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell running the show. Both are great at pushing the pace in transition, but the team is only averaging 8.8 fast break points per game this season despite that top pace. Getting more efficient with those opportunities should open the door for the Fever to start winning more consistently. 
<hr />
<h2>Azzi Fudd’s Barclays takeover</h2>
Anyone who watched Fudd during her time at UConn knows that she has one of the most consistent jumpers in basketball, period. Once she finds her stroke, it’s difficult to contain the offensive explosion that could come along with that click. 
The New York Liberty just experienced that first-hand on Sunday afternoon against the Dallas Wings. Fudd entered the contest averaging just 8.4 points per game and just 2.2 three-point attempts per game. Thanks to some poor zone defense and overhelping from New York in the 3rd quarter of their game, Fudd managed to get off five made threes en route to a 17-point frame. She had a career-high 24 points and was the most confident on the floor that she’s been since joining the Wings and the league. If this is a sign of things to come for her role with Dallas, they could be set for a huge swing up the standings. 
<hr />
<h2>Atlanta Stays on Top </h2>
The Dream lost a critical matchup to the Aces at the very start of the WNBA season…and simply haven’t lost again. Atlanta is atop the standings right now with a 4-1 record, thanks to their average of 13.6 second-chance points per game and a league-leading 41.6 rebounds per game. Te-Hina Paopao and Rhyne Howard have been providing the Dream their pop from three-point range, while Jordin Canada’s health has been paramount &#8211; the guard is averaging 51.1 from the field along with 7.2 assists per game and 2.8 steals. 
To no one’s surprise, Angel Reese has begun to find her way with the Dream, leading the team in rebounding and blocks. Her impact, alongside Canada’s, has helped the team reach a 98.3 defensive rating through five contests. This team has the tools for sustainable success on both sides of the floor, although Atlanta’s two biggest flaws right now include their turnovers and Allisha Gray not having found her stroke from three-point range just yet to kick off this season. Once both of those things are cleaned up, the Dream could have a stranglehold on the standings for much of this year. 
Their wins over the Mercury, Wings, and Minnesota Lynx show that this early-year success is no fluke. If they can just find another gear on offense, they’ll become even scarier as contenders.

five-things-i-like-week-2-2026

Five Things I Like: Week Two 2026

With every team having between five and seven games in the books two weeks into the new season, we have more information to help us analyze the field.
In addition to seeing a number of standout performances — 45 points from A’ja Wilson, 38-piece specials from Kelsey Plum and Brittney Sykes, Azzi Fudd’s six-pack of 3-pointers, and Nneka Ogwumike climbing to 5th on the all-time scoring list — a few trends have started to emerge for some teams that we’ll explore below.
Note: All stats and records are through games played on Sunday, May 24.
<hr />
<h2>1. Las Vegas Aces (4-2) ↔️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 1</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Thur. at DAL, Sun. at GSV</li>
</ul>
<div id="attachment_261604" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-261604" class="wp-image-261604" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277382826-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="700" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277382826-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277382826-300x233.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277382826-1024x797.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277382826-768x597.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277382826-1536x1195.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277382826-2048x1593.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />A&#8217;ja Wilson #22 of the Las Vegas Aces</div>
On opening night, the Aces received their 2025 championship rings — then lost by 33 to Phoenix. On Saturday, the Aces raised their 2025 championship banner — then lost to Los Angeles while allowing 38 points to former Ace Kelsey Plum. Meanwhile, Las Vegas is 4-0 when not celebrating its title. They’ll put that trend to the test this week with road games against the Wings and Valkyries.
<hr />
<h2>2. Atlanta Dream (4-1) ⬆️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 3</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Wed. at MIN, Fri. at POR</li>
</ul>
Atlanta enters this week with the top record in the WNBA thanks to a late rally against Phoenix on Sunday. The comeback was powered by 21 points from Rhyne Howard, alongside double-doubles by Jordin Canada and Angel Reese (her third with the Dream). Allisha Gray added 17 points in the win as she ranks fifth in the league in scoring (21.8 ppg) over Atlanta’s first five games.
<hr />
<h2>3. Indiana Fever (4-2) ⬆️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 8</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Thur. at GSV, Sat. at POR</li>
</ul>
Fueled by a pair of top-four scorers in the league – Caitlin Clark (23.8 ppg) and Kelsey Mitchell (22.3 ppg) – the Fever are the highest-scoring team in the WNBA, averaging 93.7 points per game. After earning home wins over the Fire and Valkyries this past week, the Fever hit the road to face the same two teams this week in Portland and San Francisco.
<hr />
<h2>4. Golden State Valkyries (3-2) ⬆️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 5</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Mon. vs. CON, Thur. vs. IND, Sun. vs. LVA</li>
</ul>
Through their first five games, the Valkyries have lived and died by the 3-point shot. In their three wins, they have made at least 13 3-pointers on 37% shooting or better. In their two losses, they have made seven 3-pointers in each game and shot below 32% both times. After splitting a pair of road games in New York and Indy last week, the Valkyries open a four-game homestand on Monday against the Sun.
<hr />
<h2>5. Minnesota Lynx (4-2) ⬆️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 9</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Wed. vs. ATL, Fri. at CHI</li>
</ul>
<div id="attachment_261605" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-261605" class="wp-image-261605" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277348547-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277348547-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277348547-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277348547-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277348547-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277348547-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277348547-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Olivia Miles #5 and Natasha Howard #1 of the Minnesota Lynx</div>
Here’s the list of players averaging at least 15 points, five rebounds, and five assists so far this season — perennial MVP candidate Alyssa Thomas and Lynx rookie Olivia Miles. Miles, the No. 2 pick in the 2026 Draft, looks like a star in the making. Meanwhile, veteran Natasha Howard has thrived (17.0 ppg, 8.3 rpg, and 66.7 FG%, which ranks fourth in the WNBA) in her first season back in Minnesota. This is buying the Lynx more time as they await the return of their own MVP candidate, Napheesa Collier.
<hr />
<h2>6. Dallas Wings (4-3) ⬆️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 10</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Thur. vs. LVA</li>
</ul>
We go from talking about this year’s No. 2 pick (Miles) to this year’s No. 1 pick, Azzi Fudd, who had one of the best games by a rookie in league history on Sunday. Fudd splashed six 3-pointers (tied for second most by a rookie ever) and scored 17 points in the 3rd quarter (also tied for second most by a rookie ever) on her way to a career-best 24 points in Dallas’ win over New York. After going 3-1 as the busiest team in the league in Week 2, Fudd, Paige Bueckers, and the rest of the Wings are off until Thursday when they host the Aces.
<hr />
<h2>7. New York Liberty (3-3) ⬇️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 2</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Mon. vs. POR, Wed. vs. PHX, Fri. vs. PHX</li>
</ul>
After averaging 100 points per game over their first four contests this season, the Liberty&#8217;s offense struggled this past week, posting back-to-back double-digit losses to the Valkyries and Wings, with New York putting up just 70 and 76 points, respectively. Those were the first two games of a season-long seven-game homestand for New York. Can the Liberty course correct and take advantage of their home-heavy schedule? Having Sabrina Ionescu back on the court, following her season debut on Sunday, should certainly help that cause.
<hr />
<h2>8. Chicago Sky (3-3) ⬇️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 4</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Wed. vs. TOR, Fri. vs. MIN</li>
</ul>
The Sky are taking the phrase “playing .500 ball” to a new level. Not only do they have a .500 win percentage at 3-3, but they have also scored exactly 500 points and given up exactly 500 points over their first six games combined. Hence, their position is smack dab in the middle of this week’s rankings. Chicago will look to get above .500 when they host Toronto on Wednesday. However, they will have to do it without leading scorer Rickea Jackson, who is out for the season with a torn ACL.
<hr />
<h2>9. Portland Fire (3-3) ⬆️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 12</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Mon. at NYL, Wed. vs. CON, Fri. vs. ATL, Sat. vs. IND</li>
</ul>
Through six games, Portland’s debut season has resembled a seesaw, trading wins and losses back and forth. This week, the Fire edged out the Sun at home, fell to the Fever on the road, then rolled in the battle of expansion teams against the Tempo as Portland dominated the second half. Can the Fire put together their first consecutive wins? Their first attempt comes Monday in Brooklyn, against a Liberty squad that Portland beat at the buzzer for their first win.
<hr />
<h2>10. Los Angeles Sparks (3-3) ⬆️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 13</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Fri. at WAS, Sat. at CON</li>
</ul>
<div id="attachment_261606" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-261606" class="wp-image-261606" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277949106-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="659" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277949106-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277949106-300x220.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277949106-1024x750.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277949106-768x562.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277949106-1536x1125.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277949106-2048x1500.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Kelsey Plum #10 of the Los Angeles Sparks</div>
The Sparks offense is clicking as they make a move up these rankings. After scoring 78 points in each of their first two games (both losses), the Sparks have scored at least 96 points in each of their last four games — going 3-1 in that stretch. In this week’s road wins over Phoenix and Vegas, L.A. shot 29-for-61 (47.5%) from beyond the arc, with WNBA leading scorer Kelsey Plum pacing the Sparks (26.8 ppg on 48.8 3P%) this season.
<hr />
<h2>11. Seattle Storm (3-4) ⬆️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 14</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Wed vs. WAS, Sat. at TOR</li>
</ul>
After being the first team to suffer a defeat at the hands of the Sun, the Storm bounced back two days later with an 18-point win over Connecticut behind a career-high-tying 17 points from rookie Flau’jae Johnson. In the Storm’s three wins, the No. 8 pick in this year’s draft has averaged 16.7 ppg on 38.9% shooting. Conversely, during their four losses, her production dipped to 9.5 points on 25.6% shooting. But Johnson isn’t Seattle’s only top-10 pick from this year’s class — No. 3 overall pick Awa Fam made her Storm debut on Sunday with 10 points off the bench in a win over Washington.
<hr />
<h2>12. Toronto Tempo (3-4) ⬇️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 11</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Wed. at CHI, Sat. vs. SEA</li>
</ul>
After Tuesday’s win lifted the Tempo over .500 for the first time, it was followed by back-to-back losses by 19+ points apiece to the Lynx and Fire. No team has relied more on the 3-point shot this season than the Tempo, with triples accounting for 44.9% of their total field goal attempts. Just as the three can shoot a team into a game (39.3% in three wins), it can also shoot them out (28.2% in four losses), which has been the case for Toronto.
<hr />
<h2>13. Washington Mystics (2-3) ⬇️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 7</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Wed. at SEA, Fri. vs. LAS</li>
</ul>
The opening week of the season saw the young Mystics go 2-1 in three clutch games. This past week, neither of their games was close, as they suffered double-digit losses at Dallas and Seattle. As Washington looks to get back on track, keep an eye on sophomore Sonia Citron, who led the WNBA in 3-point percentage as a rookie last season (44.5%), but has only shot the longball at 25% (6-for-24) so far in 2026. Washington ranks last in the league in 3-pointers made (5.0 per game) and 3-point percentage (25.5%); both of those numbers must improve for Washington to climb.
<hr />
<h2>14. Phoenix Mercury (2-5) ⬇️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 6</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Wed. at NYL, Fri. at NYL</li>
</ul>
Following the Mercury’s 33-point win over the Aces in an opening night Finals rematch, last year’s runners-up have gone just 1-5 since to drop near the bottom of the standings. Despite their 2-5 record, the Mercury’s offense is actually averaging 4.5 more points per game than they did a season ago. However, the Mercury’s defense is allowing 6.9 more points per game to opponents, which is not only negating their offensive gains but also digging them into a deeper hole to climb out of.
<hr />
<h2>15. Connecticut Sun (1-6) ↔️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 15</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Mon. at GSV, Wed. at POR, Sat. vs. LAS</li>
</ul>
Despite getting a combined 18 points from their starting lineup, the Sun scored a win over the Storm last Wednesday to earn their first victory of the season. Rookie Charlisse Leger-Walker led four Connecticut reserves in double figures off the bench, helping the unit deliver a massive 62-39 advantage over their Storm counterparts. As Connecticut seeks its second win of 2026, the Sun must visit Golden State and Portland before hosting the defending champs on Saturday.

2026-power-rankings-week-2

2026 WNBA Power Rankings: Week Two

The Commissioner’s Cup, held by the WNBA since 2021, has been a sly viewing window into what the postseason field could shape up to be once we hit September and October. 
 
Several recent cup winners or runners-up in those championship games have gone on to appear in the WNBA Finals. Most recently, the Indiana Fever, Las Vegas Aces, New York Liberty, and Minnesota Lynx have dominated the Commissioner’s Cup and have either made deep postseason runs or reached the Finals. 
It makes the in-season tournament all the more exciting, as it’s an excellent way for teams to differentiate themselves as contenders months before the postseason even kicks off. Plus, it’s for a great cause &#8211; each team dedicates a portion of their winnings after each game of the tournament to a charity of their choice. 
Players keep the rest of those earnings, with the Cup winners receiving a prize pool for the championship team&#8217;s entire active roster. 
There’s an unbelievable amount of parity in the league headed into the first games of the tournament, so the competitiveness for this year’s Cup, in its sixth year, should be off the charts. Here are just a few things fans should expect from this year’s go-around. 
<hr />
<h2>High-scoring games</h2>
With the Commissioner’s Cup, point differential matters. The old-school rule of not running it up on your opponent does not apply to these contests. This differential helps teams to escape their respective “conferences,” which are divided by the East and West. Last year, the Lynx went on an absolute tear in the Western Conference with a +77 point differential, while the New York Liberty finished with a differential of +66. 
Point differential is used as a tiebreaker, followed by the head-to-head record during the Cup itself. Despite the Liberty having the larger point differential in the Eastern Conference in 2025, the Fever had beaten them during Cup play, so they earned the opportunity to face the Lynx in the final game. 
So, points matter throughout the Cup, but winning is the primary goal for teams seeking to represent their respective conference. 
<hr />
<h2>Threats to the status quo</h2>
<div id="attachment_261323" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-261323" class="wp-image-261323" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2222400686-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2222400686-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2222400686-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2222400686-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2222400686-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2222400686-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2222400686-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />The Indiana Fever pose for a photo after wining the 2025 WNBA Commissioner&#8217;s Cup Game</div>
While it’s expected that teams like the Liberty, Fever, Dream, and Aces will be the most competitive this year during Cup play, there are a few sleepers that could give these squads trouble. The Dallas Wings are hitting their stride offensively, though their defense remains a question mark as we careen towards the kickoff of Cup games. 
The Golden State Valkyries could also present some issues in the Western Conference, as Janelle Salaun and Veronica Burton have developed into a formidable duo on both ends of the floor. The Chicago Sky, despite some offensive woes to begin the year, are one of the best defensive teams in the league so far. That could be challenging for teams looking to run up the score against Chicago during Cup play. 
The Phoenix Mercury, despite losing Satou Sabally in free agency, also looks like the kind of deep, veteran-led team that could push to clinch the Western Conference during the Cup. They’ve been one of the best offenses to begin the season, with rookie Jovana Nogic, who is hitting 66.7 percent of her threes, being a huge surprise off the bench for them. 
Just as we saw last year with the Fever’s surprising victory over the Lynx to win the Commissioner’s Cup, anything can happen over the 17-day stretch in which Cup games take place. 
<hr />
<h2>Key matchups</h2>
The Wings will kick off Cup play on June 1, when they travel to Seattle to face the Storm. Seattle’s bench has been white-hot to kick off the year (averaging 34.7 points per game through their first three games), and they could be difficult for Dallas to contain as they figure out how to plug their defensive issues. 
The Lynx will travel to Phoenix on June 1 to try to establish some dominance over the Mercury. This could mean more than just an initial stab at winning a tiebreaker for this year’s Cup, but rather, a preview of another postseason series featuring these two teams. 
Indiana will be headed to New York to try and repeat their 2025 magic on June 6. A win would go a long way towards establishing a solid footing in the Eastern Conference Cup standings and would also serve as a nice test for a healthy Fever squad against a contender like the Liberty. 
One of the last games of the Cup is an Aces-Mercury Finals rematch on June 17. Phoenix dominated in their season opener against Las Vegas, so A’ja Wilson and the Aces are likely seeking some two-fold revenge against their Western Conference foes. 
 
This could come down to how well the Mercury can stick to their guns defensively to keep the score low, as well as a battle of the benches &#8211; one led by the rookie Nogic, and the other led by guard Chennedy Carter for the Aces. As of now, the Aces have the edge with an average of 32 points coming from their second unit compared to the Mercury’s output of 18 points per game through three games. 
On June 9, we’ll also get a look at the No. 1 overall pick, Azzi Fudd, versus the No. 2 overall pick, Olivia Miles. It’s too soon to say how this year’s Rookie of the Year or All-Rookie race is shaping up, but Miles seems firmly in control of that race. Fudd, who isn’t utilized as much by Dallas because of how deep their guard room is, might not be too big a factor in this contest. But, it’ll still be a fun contest for potential bragging rights, in addition to it mattering towards Cup standings.

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Commissioner’s Cup 2026 Primer: What to Expect

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