WNBA alters Commissioner's Cup format for 2024

Field Level Media|published: Mon 18th December, 12:09 2023

Aug 15, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert hands New York Liberty forward Jonquel Jones the MVP trophy for the Commissioner s Cup Championship game after defeating the Las Vegas Aces at Michelob Ultra Arena. credits: Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports

The WNBA announced changes to the Commissioner's Cup format and schedule starting in 2024.

Each of the league's 12 teams will play five games, one each against each of their in-conference rivals.

That's a total of 30 games that will be played during a two-week span from June 1-13.

"The newly designed, concentrated structure for this in-season tournament adds an increased sense of urgency and excitement," commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a news release Monday.

"... The focus is on making the Commissioner's Cup even more engaging for all our stakeholders, including fans, teams, players and the community organizations that collaborate with our teams during the designated games."

Teams will either play three Commissioner's Cup games at home and two on the road, or vice versa.

The team from each conference with the best record in Commissioner's Cup games will compete for a $500,000 prize pool in the Commissioners' Cup Championship on June 25, played at the arena of the team with the best record in Cup play.

All Commissioner's Cup games are part of the 40-game regular season and count toward the overall league standings.

The annual in-season tournament began in 2021, with the Seattle Storm winning the inaugural title followed by the Las Vegas Aces in 2022 and the New York Liberty in 2023.

—Field Level Media