The WNBA is moving and shaking after announcing changes to the 2024 Commissioner’s Cup format.
This year, hoops fans were treated to some unreal basketball during the NBA’s In-Season Tournament. Lebron James and the Los Angeles Lakers might have won the trophy, but the tournament fostered the real-time growth of Indiana Pacers Star Tyese Haliburton. It was a sight to behold.
The success of the NBA’s tournament and its format can be traced back to the WNBA and its Commissioners Cup, initially launched in 2021.
The WNBA created the blueprint for in-season tournament play, and now, it’s making improvements aimed at creating more engagement after seeing the overwhelmingly positive reception of the NBA’s version.
Mark your calendars. The fourth annual Commissioner's Cup presented by @coinbase returns with an all-new format!
12 teams.
2 weeks.
1 trophy.The journey to the Cup begins on June 1st 🏆 pic.twitter.com/qsHD8xrHS5
— WNBA (@WNBA) December 18, 2023
Here’s what fans can expect to see next summer:
- Each team will play a total of five Commissioner’s Cup games, including one against each of its in-conference rivals
- All Commissioner’s Cup games will be played during a two-week period from June 1-13
- Teams will play either three Commissioner’s Cup games at home and two on the road or two at home and three on the road.
- All Commissioner’s Cup games will be a part of the team’s 40-game schedule and will count toward the team’s regular-season win-loss record
- The team from each conference with the top record in Commissioner’s Cup games will compete for a $500,000 prize pool in the Commissioner’s Cup Championship, which will be played on Tuesday, June 25, at the arena of the team with the best record in Cup play