The New York Liberty and Las Vegas Aces meet Tuesday night at Barclays Center with a chance to become the first franchise to win the Commissioner’s Cup twice. The in-season tournament has produced five different champions in its five editions, and Tuesday’s winner will claim a $500,000 prize pool to split among players.
Las Vegas won the Cup in 2022, and New York beat the Aces in the 2023 final on the road. Liberty star Breanna Stewart acknowledged that history cuts both ways. “If I’m (Breanna Stewart), we went to Vegas and won it in Vegas, we can’t take this lightly,” said Amazon Prime analyst Swin Cash. “They can do the same thing to us. If you’re a leader of the team I would be using that. I wouldn’t want someone coming on our home floor and be able to do that.”
The Liberty return home after a West Coast trip that ended with losses to Seattle and Golden State. New York defeated Las Vegas last Tuesday in a preview of the championship. “The toughest part is that we fly cross-country (Monday) and have to play the next day,” Stewart said after Sunday’s loss to the Valkyries. “But we’re very familiar with Vegas’ game, obviously knowing there’s gonna be some tweaks and changes to their scout and also ours.”
The Aces played in Chicago on Sunday afternoon. Both teams enter the final with extra motivation beyond the trophy: each player on the winning team will earn roughly $30,000, a significant sum even with rising WNBA salaries. “$30,000 is still $30,000,” Liberty forward Jonquel Jones said with a smile.
The teams are also raising money for charity through the Cup. New York has earned $18,000 for the African American Policy Forum, while Las Vegas has raised $19,000 for the Public Education Foundation.
This marks the second time Barclays Center has hosted the Commissioner’s Cup final. New York lost to Minnesota there in 2024 after a venue switch. “That place is always rocking, they will have energy in the building,” Cash said.
