Lay-Up Basketball Named Toronto Tempo's WNBA Commissioner's Cup Charity Beneficiary
Published on June 3, 2026 under Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Toronto Tempo News Release
TORONTO - Toronto Tempo announced today that Lay-Up Basketball has been selected as the team's charitable beneficiary for the 2026 WNBA Commissioner's Cup, the league's in-season competition running from June 1-17.
The Commissioner's Cup features dedicated regular-season matchups that also count toward Cup standings, with the top team from each conference advancing to the Championship game on June 30. In addition to on-court competition, the tournament includes a league-wide community impact initiative in which each WNBA team partners with a charitable organization. Charitable partners receive $3,000 for every Commissioner's Cup win and $1,000 for each loss, while the Championship winner's partner earns an additional $10,000. $5,000 is awarded to the runner up.
Founded in 2018, Lay-Up is a Toronto-based charitable organization that delivers cost-free, community basketball programming in Neighbourhood Improvement Areas across the city. Through a culture-forward, evidence-based approach, Lay-Up uses basketball as a tool to help young people build confidence, life skills and leadership both on and off the court.
The Toronto Tempo have worked closely with Lay-Up through community programming, youth engagement initiatives and high-profile civic moments, including joint appearances supporting girls' sport and grassroots access to basketball across the city. Selecting Lay-Up as the team's Commissioner's Cup beneficiary reflects the Tempo's commitment to building lasting impact beyond the game.
"The Commissioner's Cup is about more than competition - it's about the legacy we choose to build," said Whitney Bell, Chief Marketing Officer, Toronto Tempo. "Lay-Up has been doing meaningful, on-the-ground work in our city for years, using basketball to create confidence, leadership and opportunity for young people. Partnering with Lay-Up during the Commissioner's Cup allows us to invest directly in the future of the game and the community we're proud to represent through the meaningful work their organization is doing day-in, day-out."
"This partnership is incredibly meaningful to the work Lay-Up is doing across the city," says Micaella Riche, Executive Director, Lay-Up. "By 2030, Lay-Up needs to prepare 3,500 young people to solve real-world problems. We know that sport, when intentionally designed for development, has the power to do just that. This support amplifies that mission and excites people in Toronto to get involved."
The Toronto Tempo Commissioner Cup schedule (all times in ET):
June 3 at New York Liberty, 7:30 p.m.
June 7 vs. Chicago Sky, 3:00 p.m.
June 10 vs. Connecticut Sun, 8:00 p.m.
June 12 at Washington Mystics, 7:30 p.m.
June 14 vs. Atlanta Dream, 3:00 p.m.
June 16 at Indiana Fever, 7:00 p.m.
For more information about Lay-Up, visit www.layup.ca, and for more information about the Toronto Tempo, head to tempo.wnba.com.
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