We’re officially in the thick of it, folks. The first test of the WNBA season is the Commissioner’s Cup series, the in-season tournament that has turned the league on its head since its arrival in 2020. Although players earned life-changing, generational wealth under the new CBA, the winning team takes home a $500,000 prize pool. As several stars around the league have said, the minimum payout is $30,000, which is nothing to sneeze at, especially when you have winning players earning a third of their salary in one game just last season. The top team from the Eastern and Western conferences will face off in the championship game. So far, there is a clear separation between the top teams and the rest of the league. The Minnesota Lynx, Las Vegas Aces, and New York Liberty all sit at a clean 4-0 in Cup play.
Say what you want about the Minnesota Lynx, but you cannot say that this team is overachieving. With “Lynx Boss” Chery Reeve on the sidelines and her scout team in the front office, Minnesota keeps defying the odds with every game. The Lynx sit atop the league in several offensive categories, from shooting nearly 50/40/80 as a unit. Keep in mind, All-Star forward Napheesa Collier and EuroLeague MVP Dorka Juhasz have yet to see the court in 2026 wearing a Lynx jersey. An eight-game winning streak, powered by an average victory margin of 19.4 points per game, has Minnesota back at the top of the league. Natasha Howard is enjoying a second coming as a force in this league, averaging 17.4 points and 7.3 rebounds. It may be unconventional, but that has never been a problem for this organization, and it has four WNBA championships to prove it. However, the biggest hill to climb in the young season will come tomorrow against the defending-champion Las Vegas Aces.
The Aces are on a winning streak of their own, having five straight victories in rather convincing fashion. Four-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson is in a league of her own once again, leading the league in points per game (26.4) and total points (317). While I am not an advocate for gambling, Wilson surely seems like a surefire bet to finish as the league’s leading scorer for the third consecutive season. It also helps to have Jackie Young playing like the Jackie Young we know and opponents fear, averaging 23.8 points in her last four outings. The return of Chenndy Carter’s 15.6 points off the bench will only add to one of the most dynamic offenses of all time.
If I told you that the New York Liberty would own a 9-4 record at this point in the season with only one game from All-Star franchise icon Sabrina Ionescu, you would probably call me a liar. Well, no need, because New York is back after three straight losses, looking the best they have all year under first-year head coach Chris DeMarco. Five consecutive wins have the Liberty back in championship-contender talks, but they should never have been shown the door after only a handful of games, with a new coach adjusting on the fly without their lead guard. Insert French rookie guard Pauline Astier, who has been a blessing in disguise for DeMarco, averaging 11.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.6 assists. Her fellow countrywoman, Marine Johannes, averages 11.8 points and 3.3 assists. The talent next to superstar duo Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones has been in surplus. Not to forget All-W forward Satou Sabally, who has three double-digit scoring efforts in her return to the lineup.
For all the discussion about Caitlin Clark’s body language and blowups with members of the Fever’s coaching staff, it was surely nice to see actual basketball played Thursday night, giving […]
