The Cup Chase: Volume 2
Published on June 6, 2026 under Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) News Release
The Cup Chase
Your Daily Notebook on the WNBA Commissioner's Cup presented by Coinbase Volume 2: Setting the Pace Welcome to Day 2 of The Cup Chase. Today's slare features the top four teams in the Eastern Conference Cup standings, highlighted by a showdown between the Indiana Fever and New York Liberty as both teams look to improve to 2-0 in Cup competition. The Western Conference starts today off with an ABC doubleheader featuring the Minnesota Lynx, who are riding a six-game winning streak, and the Las Vegas Aces, who look to fend off a strong Valkyries team in this 3-seed versus 4- seed matchup.
Before we turn our attention to tonight's action, let's recap last night's performances.
The Daily Recap Chicago became the latest team to get on the board in The Cup Chase, rallying from an early 14-point deficit to earn its first Commissioner's Cup victory of the season. The Connecticut Sun jumped out to a 25-11 lead after the first quarter, but the Sky responded behind a balanced offensive effort that featured five players scoring in double figures. Skylar Diggins led the way with 24 points as Chicago completed the comeback and secured an 85-80 win.
Dallas continued its impressive start to Cup competition, improving to 2-0 with a 104-96 victory over Los Angeles in one of the highest-scoring games of the tournament so far. Arike Ogunbowale paced the Wings with 30 points, while Jess Shepard added 22 points and 15 rebounds. Paige Bueckers continued to orchestrate Dallas' high-powered offense, finishing with 18 points and 14 assists. For Los Angeles, Kelsey Plum wasted little time making an impact in her return to the lineup. After missing the Sparks' previous three games, Plum scored 27 points, pushing her league-leading scoring average to 26.9 points per game.
Phoenix kept pace in the Western Conference race with a hard-fought 78-72 road win in Portland.
DeWanna Bonner led the Mercury to their second Commissioner's Cup victory, moving Phoenix to 2-1 in Cup competition. Portland fell to 0-2 despite a strong first start of the season from Sarah Ashlee Barker, who finished with 15 points and seven rebounds.
Games to Watch Tonight
Seattle Storm @ Minnesota Lynx
Minnesota looks to stay unbeaten in Cup play, while Seattle looks to get on the board.
ABC, 1:00 PM ET
Golden State Valkyries @ Las Vegas Aces
In a 4-seed @ 3-seed matchup, Las Vegas looks to start 2-0 in Cup play, while the Valkyries hope to get to 2-1.
ABC, 3:00 PM ET
Washington Mystics @ Atlanta Dream
The Eastern Conference-leading Mystics look to get to 2-0 in Cup play, while the Dream look to bounce back and get to 2-1.
WNBA League Pass, 6:00 PM ET
Indiana Fever @ New York Liberty
Two teams looking to stay undefeated in Cup play, the Fever look to stay hot after a big win on Thursday night, and the Liberty look to defend home court.
CBS, 8:00 PM ET
Storylines We're Tracking
Caitlin Clark enters the night ranked fifth in scoring (19.8 PPG) and first in assists (8.1 APG), while Kelsey Mitchell ranks third in scoring (21.1 PPG). On the other side, Breanna Stewart continues to anchor the Liberty with 18.8 points and 8.6 rebounds per game.
The Liberty have built one of the league's most dangerous three-point attacks, ranking second in made threes (10.5 per game) and third in attempts (28.5 per game), led by Marine Johannes' 3.2 made triples per night. However, Indiana's defense has been the WNBA's toughest team against the three-point shot, allowing league lows in both opponent threes made (6.6) and attempted (20.0) per game.
Fresh off a rookie-record eight three-pointers and a career-high 28-point performance, Olivia Miles continues to strengthen her case for Kia Rookie of the Year. Among eligible rookies, Miles ranks first in points, assists, and steals per game while helping power the Lynx to a perfect 2-0 start in Cup competition.
Minnesota holds the league's top field goal percentage, ranks among the league leaders offensively and defensively, and already sits atop the Western Conference standings. They look to start Cup play 3-0 on their quest to return to the Commissioner's Cup Championship for a third straight year.
Washington gets to the free-throw line more than any team in the WNBA. Atlanta sends opponents to the free-throw line less than any team in the league. Something will have to give when the Mystics, who lead the WNBA in free throws attempted and personal fouls drawn, meet a Dream defense that has excelled at staying out of foul trouble all season.
Golden State has become one of the league's most explosive offensive teams, leading the WNBA in three-point percentage, three-pointers made, and three-point attempts. Tonight they'll face an Aces team led by A'ja Wilson, who enters the game averaging 24.8 points per game (second in the league). If the Valkyries get hot from deep, this could quickly become one of the most entertaining games of the night.
Golden State enters tonight with the highest-scoring bench in the WNBA, getting nearly 37 points per game from its reserves. The Valkyries' depth could become one of the biggest X- factors of the evening.
The Aces lead the WNBA in points in the paint, powered by A'ja Wilson's league-best interior scoring. Meanwhile, Golden State allows fewer paint points than any team in the league.
Something will have to give.
Cup Standings Snapshot Eastern Conference Leading the Way
Washington Mystics, 1-0, +18 Next 3: @ATL (June 6), vs IND (June 8), vs TOR (June 12)
Within Striking Distance
New York Liberty, 1-0, +15 Next 3: vs IND (June 6), @ CON (June 8), @ ATL (June 11)
Indiana Fever, 1-0, +12 Next 3: @ NYL (June 6), @ WAS (June 8), vs CHI (June 11)
Atlanta Dream, 1-1, +4 Next 3: vs WAS (June 6), @ CHI (June 9), vs NYL (June 11)
Work To Do 5. Connecticut Sun, 1-1, -13
6. Toronto Tempo, 0-1, -15
7. Connecticut Sun, 0-2, -21
Western Conference Leading the Way
Minnesota Lynx, 2-0, +37 Next 3: vs SEA (June 6), vs DAL (June 9), @ LVA (June 13)
Within Striking Distance
Dallas Wings, 2-0, +31 Next 3: @ LAS (June 5), @ MIN (June 9), vs PHX (June 11)
Las Vegas Aces, 1-0, +10 Next 3: vs GSV (June 6), vs SEA (June 8), @ PDX (June 11)
Phoenix Mercury, 2-1, -24 Next 3: @ GSV (June 6), vs PHX (June 9), @ SEA (June 12)
Golden State Valkyries, 1-1, +15 Next 3: @ GSV (June 6), vs PHX (June 9), @ SEA (June 12)
Work To Do 6. Los Angeles Sparks, 0-2, -18
7. Portland Fire, 0-2, -24
8. Seattle Storm, 0-2, -27
Top Performers
Skylar Diggins set the tone for Chicago's comeback, scoring a season-high 24 points while adding four assists and three rebounds in the Sky's 85-80 win over Connecticut.
Arike Ogunbowale delivered her first 30-point game of the season in Dallas' 104-96 win over Los Angeles, hitting six threes and adding six assists and six rebounds in one of the most complete scoring performances of Cup play so far.
With Alyssa Thomas unavailable, DeWanna Bonner gave Phoenix exactly what it needed, finishing with 19 points, five assists and five rebounds to lead the Mercury to a gritty 78-72 road win in Portland.
From the Commissioner's Cup Archive
Since the Commissioner's Cup debuted in 2021, 9 of the 10 teams that reached the Commissioner's Cup Championship Game went on to advance to the WNBA Semifinals later that season.
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 6, 2026
- Indiana Fever Fall at New York Liberty - Indiana Fever
- Las Vegas Aces Hold Back Golden State Valkyries for 84-79 Victory - Las Vegas Aces
- Gabby Williams Explodes for Career-High 27 Points, Valkyries Lose Nail Biter to Aces - Golden State Valkyries
- Sky Claims First Home Game Victory of the Season against Sun, 85-80 - Chicago Sky
- The Cup Chase: Volume 2 - WNBA
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.
