WNBA Commissioner's Cup final matchup set: Indiana Fever, Minnesota Lynx punch tickets
The Indiana Fever advanced to the Commissioner's Cup final for the first time in franchise history following a 88-71 win over the Connecticut Sun on June 17, where superstar Caitlin Clark dropped 20 points and six assists. The Fever climbed to the top of the Eastern Conference standings on Tuesday with their victory over the Sun and the New York Liberty's 86-81 win over the Atlanta Dream.
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The Minnesota Lynx, the reigning Commissioner's Cup champions, are returning to the championship game for the second consecutive year after downing the A'ja Wilson-less Las Vegas Aces, 76-62, on June 17.
The Commissioner's Cup title game will be held on Tuesday, July 1.
Here's everything you need to know about the 2025 Commissioner's Cup, including the standings, previous clinching scenarios and past champions:
How does Commissioner's Cup work?
The WNBA's annual in-season tournament, known as the Commissioner's Cup, is a competition that features 36-games from June 1-17 with a $500,000 prize pool up for grabs. The rules are simple: Each team goes head-to-head against each team in their conference over the course of a two-week span. The team from each conference with the best record will advance to the Commissioner's Cup final on July 1, which will be hosted by the team with the overall best winning percentage among all Cup games. Coinbase, the official sponsor of the Commissioner's Cup, chipped in an extra $120,000 in cryptocurrency to the prize pool to sweeten the pot.
Commissioner's Cup standings
Here's the Commissioner's Cup standings following the June 17 games, not including the Storm vs. Sparks, which is still ongoing. The Fever own the tiebreaker over the Liberty.
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(x-clinched berth in Commissioner's Cup final)
Eastern Conference
x- 1. Indiana Fever (4-1)
2. New York Liberty (4-1)
3. Atlanta Dream (3-2)
4. Washington Mystics (2-3)
5. Chicago Sky (1-4)
6. Connecticut Sun (1-4)
Western Conference
x- 1. Minnesota Lynx (5-1)
2. Phoenix Mercury (4-2)
3. Seattle Storm (3-2)
4. Golden State Valkyries (3-3)
5. Los Angeles Sparks (2-3)
6. Las Vegas Aces (2-4)
7. Dallas Wings (1-5)
Minnesota Lynx guard Kayla McBride (21), forward Alanna Smith (8), guard Natisha Hiedeman (2) and forward Napheesa Collier (24) walk of the court in the final seconds against the Seattle Storm during a game on June 11, 2025.
Commissioner's Cup clinching scenarios
Let's take a look at the different clinching scenarios, starting with the Eastern Conference:
If the Atlanta Dream defeats the New York Liberty on the road, the Dream will represent the Eastern Conference in the Commissioner's Cup final.
If the Dream losses to the Liberty and the Indiana Fever defeat the Connecticut Sun, the Fever and Liberty would be tied 4-1 in the Commissioner's Cup standings. The Fever, however, have the tiebreaker following Indiana's June 14 win over New York in Caitlin Clark's return from injury, meaning the Fever would advance to the final.
If the Liberty defeat the Dream AND the Sun beat the Fever, the Liberty will advance to the Commissioner's Cup final for the second consecutive year.
Here's the clinching scenarios in the Western Conference:
If the Minnesota Lynx defeat the Las Vegas Aces, then Minnesota will represent the Western Conference in the Commissioner's Cup final for the second consecutive year.
If the Lynx lose, but the Seattle Storm also lose to the Los Angeles Sparks, the Lynx will advance to the Commissioner's Cup final.
If the Storm defeats the Sparks AND the Lynx lose to the Aces, then Seattle will move on to the Commissioner's Cup final.
WNBA Commissioner's Cup champions, by year
Here's every team that has won the WNBA's in-season tournament since it began in 2021:
2024: Minnesota Lynx def. New York Liberty
2023: New York Liberty def. Las Vegas Acers
2022: Las Vegas Aces def. Chicago Sky
2021: Seattle Storm def. Connecticut Sun
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fever, Lynx reach WNBA Commissioner's Cup final: 2025 standings
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Hawks General Manager Onsi Saleh, who was appointed to the position in April, has hit the ground running. In the past two weeks, Saleh has acquired Kristaps Porzingis from the Celtics, nabbed an unprotected 2026 first-round pick from the Pelicans, executed a sign-and-trade with the Timberwolves for Nickeil Alexander-Walker and signed free agent guard Luke Kennard. Saleh gave up nothing of consequence in the deals for Porzingis and Alexander-Walker, and he handily won the trade with New Orleans. The Hawks have missed the playoffs in each of the past two seasons, but they are well positioned now to climb into the East's second tier. Alexander-Walker arrives as a playoff-tested third guard to complement lead playmaker Trae Young and perimeter stopper Dyson Daniels, and Kennard represents another shooting threat. While Atlanta's ceiling will hinge on Jalen Johnson's health and 2024 No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher's development, Saleh has added size, experience and athleticism to an organization that had spent years spinning its wheels. Speaking of Alexander-Walker, the Timberwolves were forced to part with the Canadian guard after re-signing forwards Julius Randle (three years, $100 million) and Naz Reid (five years, $125 million). All things considered, Minnesota was able to salvage its big and physical identity by retaining Randle and Reid alongside defensive lynchpin Rudy Gobert. With franchise guard Anthony Edwards entering his age-24 season, Minnesota avoided taking a major step back despite its cap constraints. Still, losing Alexander-Walker will thin out a backcourt that was already overmatched in the Western Conference finals against the Thunder. Mike Conley will turn 38 before the 2025-26 season opens, and Edwards needs assistance when it comes to ballhandling and playmaking responsibilities. Unless 2024 lottery pick Rob Dillingham can take a major step forward, Minnesota's shallow backcourt rotation could hold it back from reaching a third straight West finals. Speaking of Alexander-Walker, the Timberwolves were forced to part with the Canadian guard after re-signing forwards Julius Randle (three years, $100 million) and Naz Reid (five years, $125 million). All things considered, Minnesota was able to salvage its big and physical identity by retaining Randle and Reid alongside defensive lynchpin Rudy Gobert. With franchise guard Anthony Edwards entering his age-24 season, Minnesota avoided taking a major step back despite its cap constraints. Still, losing Alexander-Walker will thin out a backcourt that was already overmatched in the Western Conference finals against the Thunder. 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With Morant's trade value submarined by his off-court shenanigans and Jackson in line for a lucrative contract extension, Memphis traded Bane to better balance its books. Finding a buyer for a two-way talent such as Bane was the easy part. The Grizzlies then set about replacing his production by striking a draft-day trade for Cedric Coward and signing free agent guard Ty Jerome, who was fresh off a career year with the Cavaliers. Memphis also landed veteran backcourt stopper Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in the Bane trade, re-signed coveted forward Santi Aldama in free agency and agreed to sign Jackson to a five-year, $240 million extension. Instead of a top-heavy salary sheet for a team that wasn't good enough to push the West's best, Memphis has restored its second-unit depth and maintained its fast-paced style. With better health for Morant, the Grizzlies could easily climb over a few teams that finished above them in last year's West standings. 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The Raptors' offseason got off to a demoralizing start when franchise icon Masai Ujiri was let go on Friday, one day after the NBA draft concluded and just three days before the free agency window opened. Ujiri, an executive who transformed the Raptors from a laughingstock into the 2019 champions, apparently fell out of favor with ownership following two consecutive dismal seasons. In the years since his bold trade for Kawhi Leonard set up Toronto for its first title, Ujiri lost his golden touch in the draft and watched major talents — Leonard, VanVleet, Kyle Lowry, Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby — leave town. Ujiri's critical flaw in the post-championship years was that he undervalued shooting. Still, many of Toronto's most important young players are simply not good enough shooters to be major weapons in the modern era. Bobby Webster, Ujiri's deputy, has made only one notable move this week: re-signing center Jakob Poeltl to a four-year, $104 million contract, which was in the discussion for the week's biggest overpay. Poeltl, 29, hasn't played in a playoff game since 2019 and crunches the court because — you guessed it — he is a non-shooter. The Raptors have now made major financial commitments to Brandon Ingram, Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Scottie Barnes and Poeltl, a group that presents countless fit questions and is wholly lacking in playoff success. Toronto must hope that Ingram, who arrived in a midseason trade but didn't play down the stretch because of injury, and Barnes, a talented but immature 23-year-old forward, can boost its outlook next season. That's not impossible given the tattered state of the East, but Ujiri's abrupt exit provided a harsh reminder of just how far the Raptors have fallen — and how much work they have ahead of them to climb back up.
