Basketball is basketball.
The Golden State Valkyries made WNBA history in 2025, becoming the league’s first expansion team to finish above .500 (23-21) and make the playoffs in their inaugural season. In doing so, Golden State changed the blueprint for future expansion teams, proving that it was indeed possible to essentially build a team from scratch and be […]
Commissioner’s Cup? Nope, the Reese Return takes center stage in the WNBA on Tuesday night, as Angel Reese and the Atlanta Dream visit the Chicago Sky (7 p.m. ET, ESPN). The disintegration between the Sky organization and their former star is well-trod ground, with both sides moving on to what they thought would be brighter […]
WASHINGTON — Caitlin Clark’s feet (nearly) graced a new logo with a go-ahead, game-winning shot Monday night. That of the Commissioner’s Cup. She was just in front of the cup itself, emblazoned on the CareFirst Arena floor, when she rose for a 3-pointer way back from the left wing with 3.3 seconds remaining and her […]
On Monday night, the first-place team in the Eastern Conference Commissioner’s Cup standings and the still-undefeated third-place team from the Western Conference are in action. The 2023 Cup champion New York Liberty can strengthen their hold on the East with a win against the Connecticut Sun (7 p.m. ET, WNBA League Pass). The 2022 Cup-winning […]
At the halftime break of Sunday’s game between the Los Angeles Sparks and Portland Fire, LA was in trouble. They were trailing by two at home, and an 0-3 start to the Commissioner’s Cup for the purple and gold seemed much more on the table than a blowout win. However, the Sparks turned things up […]
You know expectations are high when you start throwing around the name Kevin Durant. And while her 3-point efficiency has still yet to live up to that standard over an extended period, Awak Kuier does indeed possess some of the same tools as the NBA’s fifth all-time leading scorer. It’s what made her such an […]
To start the 2026 WNBA season, the Atlanta Dream’s offense has been a work in progress. On Saturday, the progress was working, as the Dream drowned the visiting Washington Mystics in a season-best offensive outburst. The 109-77 win marked the Dream’s single-game scoring high, buoyed by 13 made 3s, 32 made free throws and an […]
The Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire’s full inauguration into the WNBA awaits a next step: winning a first-ever Commissioner’s Cup game. On Sunday, the Tempo host the Chicago Sky (3 p.m. ET, WNBA League Pass), while the Fire make their first visit to Southern California to play the Los Angeles Sparks (7 p.m. ET, NBA […]
Did the Chicago Sky get their mojo back as they secured their first home victory of the season? In defeating the Connecticut Sun 85-80, the Sky also ended a five-game losing streak and chalked up a Commissioner’s Cup victory. A sluggish start left the Sun leading 25-11 after the first quarter, but the Sky then […]
Saturday sets up a quartet of WNBA games with significant Commissioner’s Cup implications. Let’s break it all down. And jump in the comments to let us know which teams you favor, both on Saturday and in the overall Cup chase, and why. Seattle Storm vs. Minnesota Lynx (1 p.m. ET, ABC) Already 0-2 in Cup […]
WNBA rookies often get a ton of attention every year as the new players in the league who are looking to establish themselves. This was certainly the case last season when Paige Bueckers came in and immediately dominated, and Dominique Malonga showed glimpses of her limitless potential. While Bueckers and Malonga (at least before the […]
The 2026 WNBA offseason may have been much shorter than what fans were used to, thanks to a lengthy period of collective bargaining agreement (CBA) negotiations, but that had no impact on the overall amount of activity. Many star players ended up switching teams, whether by trade or by free agent signing, and for the […]
The bear has been poked in Indiana. Snapping their two-game losing streak, the Indiana Fever put on a clutch performance to win their first Commissioner’s Cup game, defeating the Atlanta Dream 83-71. Though the Dream have proven to be one of the league’s stronger defensive teams this season, they fell short before halftime in other […]
The Minnesota Lynx were supposed to be in survival mode. Their franchise cornerstone, Napheesa Collier underwent two ankle surgeries in the offseason and was ruled out until at least early June. Add in a roster that lost Alanna Smith, Jessica Shepard, Natisha Hiedeman, Bridget Carleton,and DiJonai Carrington to free agency and the expansion draft, and […]
The new CBA brought a ton of changes to the WNBA. One of the most notable was the creation of the developmental player position. Now, teams can sign two development players. These players are allowed to participate in all training sessions and practices. They can also travel with the team. But, they can only be […]
Three of the four teams in action on Thursday night— the Atlanta Dream, Golden State Valkyries and Minnesota Lynx—all began their Commissioner’s Cup quests with a win. The fourth team, the defending Cup champion Indiana Fever, desperately hope to do the same. It’s been a long week for Indy, plunged into ever-deeper waves of scrutiny […]
There is more WNBA season in front of us than behind, but already teams are inching towards completing the first quarter of the year. Certain franchises, like the Minnesota Lynx and Atlanta Dream, are looking like title contenders, while teams like the Seattle Storm and Phoenix Mercury are at the bottom of the standings. Plenty […]
She can insist that it’s “just another game,” but the spotlight will be on Sandy Brondello and her new team in Brooklyn on Thursday night (7:30 p.m. ET, USA Network). The head coach of the Toronto Tempo was dismissed from the top position with the New York Liberty after the 2025 WNBA season, despite leading […]
WASHINGTON — The sight of a Mystic putback layup was too frequent Tuesday night at CareFirst Arena, as Washington used a dominant 22-3 advantage in second-chance points to soundly defeat the reeling-from-injury Chicago Sky 90-72 in the Commissioner’s Cup opener for both teams. Michaela Onyenwere had two putbacks—one that tied it at seven and another […]
It’s no secret that European players are having a moment in the WNBA. Although the league has always uplifted international talent, European players were previously expected to prove themselves to a superhuman extent to get their first W contract. Now, through a combination of factors such as an increase in roster spots, the advancement of […]
Does the mantra, “Defense wins championships,” apply to the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup championship? The historical record is mixed. The 2021 Seattle Storm finished the season as the fifth-best defense. The 2022 Las Vegas Aces were sixth. The 2023 New York Liberty ranked third in defensive rating. The 2025 Minnesota Lynx closed at second overall. And […]
Every year, there are a few players who are inexplicably underrated in ESPN’s fantasy women’s basketball pre-rankings. Whatever the reason (injuries, reporting to their team late, or ESPN just plain missing the boat), low pre-ranks lead to late ADPs, and oftentimes these players are left off rosters entirely when the season begins. The Connecticut Sun’s […]
Five years of the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup has produced five different champions: the Seattle Storm, Las Vegas Aces, New York Liberty, Minnesota Lynx and Indiana Fever. As the sixth edition of the WNBA’s in-season competition begins, which of those former champs has the best chance of becoming the first franchise to raise a second Cup […]
A WNBA tradition since 2021, the Commissioner’s Cup is set to begin. This in-season tournament adds some spice to the year and is an indicator not just of the best teams during the summer, but of which can win it all come playoff time. Over the last five seasons, the Commissioner’s Cup champion has also […]
The 2025 Las Vegas Aces really messed up our ability to attempt to objectively evaluate them. During the first half of last season, we declared them done and dusted on multiple occasions. The dynasty was dead, buried by the Minnesota Lynx in an epic blowout on the homecourt of the former, fading champions. Such declarations, […]