WNBA Power Rankings: Lynx take over No. 1, Fever f...
Key takeaways
- How much has the in-season championship indicated who will win the WNBA title, though?
- In five years of the Cup's existence, just one team has won both in the same season: Las Vegas in 2022.
- A reminder of the rules and format of the Cup, which has evolved since its launch in 2021: Each team will play a set number of games in a condensed, two-week period to start June.
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
It's Commissioner's Cup time in the WNBA. How much has the in-season championship indicated who will win the WNBA title, though?
History says not much. In five years of the Cup's existence, just one team has won both in the same season: Las Vegas in 2022. Our new No. 1 team in this week's Power Rankings, Minnesota, has competed in the Cup final twice, beating New York in 2024 and losing to Indiana in 2025. The Lynx made the 2024 WNBA Finals, falling to the Liberty, but lost in the semifinals to Phoenix last year.
A reminder of the rules and format of the Cup, which has evolved since its launch in 2021: Each team will play a set number of games in a condensed, two-week period to start June. With expansion this year, this means all the Eastern Conference teams will play six designated Cup games each, while Western Conference teams will play seven each. The top team from each conference will then meet for the trophy on June 30 -- as well as the $500,000 prize pool with a charitable component, to be distributed to the team's organization of choice. The team with the best winning percentage in Cup games (going to tiebreakers, if needed) will host the final.