After holding this year’s WNBA All-Star Game at Wintrust Arena, the Chicago Sky are playing host once again for the second Commissioner’s Cup championship. Here’s what you need to know about it.
What is the Commissioner’s Cup?
The Commissioner’s Cup was added to the WNBA schedule last year as a way for players to make additional money during the season. The winning team splits $500,000 among the players.
The matchup is determined by which two teams have the most wins in Commissioner’s Cup play in each conference. This year, the Sky and Las Vegas Aces each went 9-1 in CC play.
When and where is it?
The Comissioner’s Cup championship will be played July 26 at 7:30 p.m. at Wintrust Arena.
Because the Aces and Sky have the same Commissioner’s Cup record, home-court advantage was determined by the head-to-head regular-season record, then overall regular-season play. The Sky were a half-game ahead of the Aces heading into the All-Star break.
How can I watch?
Amazon Prime will air the event.
Where do these teams stack up against the WNBA’s best?
When these two teams tip off, it could very well be a preview of this season’s WNBA Finals.
The Sky have won 12 of their last 14 games and have the best net rating in the league. Opponents haven’t been able to stop their motion offense that is third in points per game since June 10. Candace Parker has been playing like an MVP candidate, averaging 19 points, 9.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists over a five-game stretch before going scoreless in the Sky’s 80-68 win Thursday over the Los Angeles Sparks.
Las Vegas has looked vulnerable on defense at times this season but still has one of the best starting units in the league. A’ja Wilson is the early favorite to win her second MVP award, while Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young are playing at an All-WNBA level.
The biggest hole the Aces needed to fill was their lack of depth. Through June 11, Las Vegas was the only team to average single-digit bench points per game. After adding Iliana Rupert, getting Riquna Williams back in the rotation and having Theresa Plaisance emerge, the Aces are in better shape as the postseason nears.
Do these teams have a history with one another?
The rise of these two franchises came at about the same time. The San Antonio Stars moved to Las Vegas in 2018 to become the Aces, who drafted Wilson as the face of the franchise. The same year, the Sky drafted 2019 All-Star Diamond DeShields. The teams played each other in the second round of the 2019 playoffs and the Aces won on Dearica Hamby’s half-court shot with 4.8 seconds remaining.
The Aces also had the advantage in 2020, but the Sky now have bragging rights as the reigning champions. However, Las Vegas received a lot of attention early in the 2022 season after starting 9-2. The teams played earlier in the year when Sky coach and general manager James Wade went off in his postgame news conference after the Sky lost 83-76.
“The best team,” Wade said May 28. “The best team in the league. Keep that narrative all year. I hear y’all. They are the best team in the league. Keep that (expletive). I ain’t going to forget it.”
The Sky evened the season series June 21 by completing the largest comeback in WNBA history, storming back from 28 points down in the second quarter.
There is one tier at the top of the WNBA right now, and it boasts only these two teams. It should be a playoff atmosphere at Wintrust Arena come the Commissioner’s Cup championship.
Who are the X-factors for both teams?
The Sky have been heralded for having an “everybody eats” offense, but they’ve won games by containing their opponents. That’s where Rebekah Gardner comes in. She very well could end up on a WNBA all-defensive team despite coming off the bench.
According to the league’s on/off data, the Sky have an 85.2 defensive rating in the fourth quarter when Gardner is on the floor. She has been tasked with defending some of the best guards in the league, including Plum. If Gardner can contain the Aces guard, an All-Star starter this year, the Sky frontcourt has the size and versatility to match up with Wilson and Hamby.
If the Aces are going to win the Commissioner’s Cup, they can’t rely on only their starters. Their starting five had played a league-high 419 minutes together entering Friday (for context: the second-most was the Seattle Storm with 277 minutes). That’s where Williams comes in.
After missing most of June with a foot injury, Williams has slowly started to look like her 2021 self. If she can provide some fire off the bench, Plum and Chelsea Gray won’t have to play deep into this game. Against the Sky on June 21, the starting backcourt duo looked exhausted trying to stave off the Sky’s comeback efforts. The Aces need only 20 minutes from Williams to avoid the same problem they dealt with less than a month ago in Las Vegas.
