The Commissioner’s Cup presented by Coinbase returns for its fifth year, bringing a stretch of high-stakes games right into the heart of the regular season. Running from June 1 to June 17, every team will play a set of games that count both toward their overall record and their Cup standing, with a hefty $500,000 prize pool-plus $120,000 in cryptocurrency-up for grabs.
What sets the Cup apart? It’s not just about bragging rights. It’s about rivalry, playoff-level intensity, and, for the players, real money. This year’s title game will take place on Tuesday, July 1, hosted by the finalist with the best Cup record.
What’s New in 2025? Cup Games, Format Changes & Scheduling Details
The format got a refresh last year and continues in 2025. Every team faces each of its in-conference rivals once during the Cup window-five games for Eastern Conference teams, six for the West. The team with the best Cup record in each conference will punch their ticket to the championship.
These games are baked right into the WNBA’s expanded 44-game regular season, which tips off May 16. That means there’s no separate Cup schedule-just a concentrated stretch of intraconference matchups with bigger implications.
If there’s a tie? The league goes deep on tiebreakers: head-to-head results, point differential, total points, and even a random draw if necessary. To decide who hosts the final, overall winning percentage comes into play, not just Cup results.
Midseason Madness: What the Commissioner’s Cup Adds to the WNBA
The Commissioner’s Cup adds a layer of urgency and excitement to games that might otherwise blend into a long regular season. Fans get meaningful matchups earlier in the year. Players get a shot at extra earnings. And the league continues its commitment to social justice, with donations made to nonprofits chosen by players throughout the tournament.
Past Cup winners include the Minnesota Lynx (2024), New York Liberty (2023), Las Vegas Aces (2022), and Seattle Storm (2021)-a who’s who of WNBA powerhouses. This year, with rising stars like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and the debut of the Golden State Valkyries, the stage is set for a compelling showdown.
With the title game falling just weeks before the 2025 AT&T WNBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis (July 19), the Commissioner’s Cup acts as a kind of midseason measuring stick. Who’s clicking, who’s clutch, and who’s coming for the crown?
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