The Cup Chase- Volume 11
Published on June 15, 2026 under Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) News Release
Your Daily Notebook on the WNBA Commissioner's Cup presented by Coinbase Volume 11: The East Is Settled Welcome to Day 11 of The Cup Chase.
The New York Liberty punched their ticket to the Commissioner's Cup Championship Game presented by Coinbase with a win over Washington, becoming the Eastern Conference representative for the third time in four years. The Liberty have now won seven straight games and could learn their Cup Championship opponent tonight.
Atlanta closed out their Commissioner's Cup schedule with a win over Toronto on Sunday, but New York's victory locked up the Eastern Conference spot in the Championship Game for the Liberty.
Now, all eyes turn West. The second clinch opportunity belongs to Las Vegas tonight, as the Aces travel to Dallas to take on the Wings. With a win, Las Vegas clinches the Western Conference berth and sets up a showdown with New York. A loss keeps the race alive heading into the final days of Cup play.
Let's recap another eventful day of Commissioner's Cup play before looking at tonight's matchups.
The Daily Recap The Liberty are heading back to the Commissioner's Cup Championship Game presented by Coinbase.
New York defeated Washington, 86-64, behind another dominant performance from Breanna Stewart, who finished with 14 points, 12 rebounds and a career-high seven blocks. Jonquel Jones scored 20 points, including 17 in the second half, while Sabrina Ionescu returned to the lineup for the first time in seven games. The victory improved the Liberty to 5-0 in Cup play, extended their overall winning streak to seven games and officially clinched the Eastern Conference title.
Atlanta made sure the day still had plenty of noise. After trailing by 12 points in the first quarter, the Dream responded with one of their most complete performances of the season, defeating Toronto, 102-77. Angel Reese continued her remarkable run with 15 points and 17 rebounds, including a career-high 11 offensive boards. Allisha Gray added 26 points and seven assists, while Rhyne Howard scored 24 as Atlanta outscored Toronto 34-14 in the second quarter and never looked back.
Top Performers Last Night
Breanna Stewart recorded a career-high seven blocks as the Liberty clinched the Eastern Conference spot in the Commissioner's Cup Championship Game presented by Coinbase. Alongside the career defensive day, Stewie recorded a double-double on the offensive end with 14 points and 12 rebounds.
Allisha Gray led the Dream to a road win at Toronto, where she recorded a team-high 26 points, hitting five 3-pointers and dishing seven assists.
Games to Watch Tonight
Las Vegas Aces @ Dallas Wings
The Aces enter Dallas with a chance to clinch the West's spot in the Championship Game of the WNBA Commissioner's Cup presented by Coinbase. A loss extends the race into the final days of Cup play.
USA Network, 8:00 PM ET
Portland Fire @ Minnesota Lynx
The Lynx need a win and some help to keep their Cup Championship hopes alive as Portland looks to play spoiler.
WNBA League Pass, 8:00 PM ET
Los Angeles Sparks @ Golden State Valkyries
Kelsey Plum, coming off a career-high 43 points, and the Sparks travel to take on the Valkyries in this California matchup.
Peacock & NBCSN, 10:00 PM ET
Storylines We're Tracking
The Aces control their own destiny. A win in Dallas would send Las Vegas to the Championship Game of the WNBA Commissioner's Cup presented by Coinbase, while a loss keeps the Western Conference race alive heading into the final days of Cup play.
A'ja Wilson enters tonight averaging 26.2 points, 9.3 rebounds and a league-leading 2.38 blocks per game, while Jessica Shepard ranks second in the WNBA in rebounding and has recorded eight double-doubles in her last 10 games. Two of the league's most impactful frontcourt players meet with enormous stakes attached.
Dallas will rely on one of the league's most productive young stars. Paige Bueckers ranks first among all eligible sophomores in both scoring (19.8 PPG) and assists (5.8 APG).
Elite offense meets elite resistance. Las Vegas leads the WNBA in offensive rating, while Dallas ranks among the league's best teams at limiting second-chance opportunities and defensive rebounding.
Olivia Miles looks to continue her impressive rookie campaign. Miles leads all eligible first-year players in points, assists and steals, and enters tonight coming off a career-high 29-point performance against the Aces.
The top scorer in the league meets one of the league's best defensive teams. Kelsey Plum enters averaging a WNBA-best 26.6 points per game and is coming off a career-high 43-point performance, while Golden State allows the fewest points in the paint in the league and boasts the fifth-ranked defensive rating in the league.
Cup Standings Snapshot Eastern Conference Clinched
New York Liberty, 5-0, +68 Final 1: @ CHI (June 17)
Western Conference Leading the Way
Las Vegas Aces, 5-0, +44 Next 2: @ DAL (June 15), @ PHX (June 17)
Within Striking Distance
Minnesota Lynx, 4-1, +78 Next 2: vs PDX (June 15), @ LAS (June 17)
3. Dallas Wings, 3-2, +21
4. Los Angeles Sparks, 3-2, +21
5. Golden State Valkyries, 3-2, +20
Commissioner's Cup Community Organizations Every year, the Commissioner's Cup presented by Coinbase ties elite competition to community impact. To honor the WNBA's milestone 30th season, each team selected partner organizations that are tied to their own local legacies.
Through every game of Cup play, WNBA teams are earning donations for their select nonprofit organizations - $3,000 for every win and $1,000 for every loss. An additional $10,000 donation will be made to the Championship Game winner's select nonprofit, and $5,000 to the runner- up's organization.
The total donation pool will exceed $200,000. See to the right for the current leaderboard with just a few games to go.
For more information on the 2026 WNBA Commissioner's Cup presented by Coinbase, please visit https://www.wnba.com/commissioners-cup/2026 .
Women's National Basketball Association Stories from June 15, 2026
- The Cup Chase- Volume 11 - WNBA
- Sparks Announce Partnership with State Street Investment Management Partner and SPY as Official ETF Partner - Los Angeles Sparks
- Fever Host Tempo on Tuesday - Indiana Fever
- Golden State Valkyries Announce 2026 Juneteenth Celebrations - Golden State Valkyries
- Washington Mystics and MSE Foundation Launch Her Colors Uniform Grant Program - Washington Mystics
- ESPN Greenlights New ESPN Original Series Setting the Tempo - Toronto Tempo
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
