June isn’t just the first month of summer; it’s also the start of Commissioner’s Cup play in the WNBA.
Things kicked off with the Indiana Fever beating the Chicago Sky 71-70 on Saturday, and now we have four games scheduled for Sunday. Before we preview the action, here is a quick rundown on how Commissioner’s Cup play works.
All games played from June 1 to June 13 will be Commissioner’s Cup games. Each team will play five games, one against each of its in-conference rivals. Teams will play three Commissioner’s Cup games at home and two on the road, or vice versa. 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 on June 25 at the arena of the team with the best record in Cup play.
Simple enough? Let’s get into the Sunday games.
Is beating the Sun a Dream?
The Atlanta Dream will be hosting the Connecticut Sun and attempting to beat the Sun, something no team has accomplished so far in 2024.
They’ll need Rhyne Howard to go bonkers and likely need a big game from Allisha Gray to get the job done. The Sun have had many close games, but have pulled victories out. If their forwards continue to score in double figures and they get enough production from their guards, they should come out of Atlanta with a win.
Embrace the mid
Not every game on the schedule will be a classic, and this matchup between the 2-5 Los Angeles Sparks and the 3-5 Phoenix Mercury is not the most exciting on paper.
Sure, Sparks’ rookies Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson are fun to watch, and the Mercury have talented players such as Kahleah Copper and Diana Taurasi, but these teams just aren’t deep enough top to bottom to win many games.
Someone will have to win on Sunday, and it will be interesting to see which side plays well enough to get the result. However, given their play thus far, it’s unlikely either team is a contender for the Commissioner’s Cup.
Caitlin Clark plays again
Welcome to the WNBA, Caitlin Clark! Back-to-backs and games stacked on top of each other until the season ends. The Fever just won a tough matchup versus the Sky, and their reward is playing the Liberty on the road.
A win here will be tough for Indiana as they have lost both times they’ve played New York, and neither game has been particularly close. For the Fever to pull off an upset, they’ll need a superb Clark scoring performance and Aliyah Boston and NaLyssa Smith to dominate the paint and grab most of the boards.
How good is Minnesota?
The Lynx have won five of their first seven games and look ready to contend. Napheesa Collier is a walking double-double machine, and with Courtney Williams running the offense, they are humming like a well-oiled machine.
The Wings are at .500 but have had some quality wins, and with Arike Ogunbowale as the best scorer in the league, they’ll always have a chance to beat any top team. However, a victory on Sunday will have to come on the road in Minnesota, and only the defending champs, the Las Vegas Aces, have been able to do that this year.
Game information
Atlanta Dream (4-2) vs. Connecticut Sun (7-0)
When: Sunday, June 2 at 3 p.m. ET
Where: Gateway Center Arena in College Park, GA
How to watch: WNBA League Pass
Dream injury report: Jordin Canada (out; hand)
Sun injury report: none
Phoenix Mercury (3-5) vs. Los Angeles Sparks (2-5)
When: Sunday, June 2 at 6 p.m. ET
Where: Footprint Center in Phoenix, AZ
How to watch: WNBA League Pass
Mercury injury report: Rebecca Allen (out; concussion protocol), Brittney Griner (out; toe)
Sparks injury report: Azurá Stevens (out; left arm), Layshia Clarendon (out; concussion protocol)
New York Liberty (6-2) vs. Indiana Fever (2-8)
When: Sunday, June 2 at 7 p.m. ET
Where: Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY
How to watch: NBA TV
Liberty injury report: Nyara Sabally (out;), Courtney Vandersloot (out; back)
Fever injury report: Temi Fagbenle (out; foot), Damiris Dantas (out; knee)
Minnesota Lynx (5-2) vs. Dallas Wings (3-3)
When: Sunday, June 2 at 7 p.m. ET
Where: Target Center in Minneapolis, MN
How to watch: CBSSN
Lynx injury report: Diamond Miller (out; knee), Cecilia Zandalasini (probable; eye)
Wings injury report: Natasha Howard(out; foot), Satou Sabally (out; shoulder)