Rematch of 2023 final set for next week in Brooklyn
By Noah Zimmerman
noah@queensledger.com
The 2026 WNBA Commissioner’s Cup Championship will be held at the Barclays Center! After a wild finish in Chicago sealed a 6-0 cup slate for the New York Liberty, the Las Vegas Aces and Minnesota Lynx both finished 6-1 in the West, with the Aces advancing due to their head-to-head victory.
“It’s really hard to win in this league. For our character it’s a really good win,” said Liberty Head Coach Chris DeMarco about the team’s 96-95 win in Chicago.
It was a tough and gritty contest in the Windy City, with the Liberty only managing a 2-point advantage at the half. Jonquel Jones finished with a team-high 19 points and Breanna Stewart and Satou Sabally each added 17, but it was a clutch bucket by Sabrina Ionescu that sealed the win, with the guard easing her way back into the rotation.
The win marked an eighth consecutive victory for the Liberty, who simultaneously surged back towards the top of the Eastern Conference. This will be the third trip to the cup championship game for both teams, and this year one is guaranteed to become the first WNBA team to win multiple titles. Tip-off is scheduled for Tuesday, June 30 at 7pm. The winning team will split a $500,000 prize pool.
As part of the Commissioner’s Cup charity and fundraising initiatives, the Liberty raised $18,000 to benefit the African American Policy Forum. The Aces raised $19,000 for the Public Education Foundation. The nonprofit partner for the championship game winner will receive an additional $10,000, with the runner up’s partner receiving $5,000.
“It’s an honor to be on this stage for the third time in four seasons,” said Liberty CEO Keia Clarke. “We’re driven to compete for a win that extends beyond the game by supporting the incredibly important work of the African American Policy Forum.”
