The Dallas Wings began their quest for the Commissioner’s Cup two weeks ago with wins against the Phoenix Mercury and Minnesota Lynx. What exactly is the Commissioner’s Cup? How does it work? And how do the Wings stack up against the teams they’ll have to beat take home the coveted trophy? Let’s take a look.
What is the Commissioner’s Cup?
The Commissioner’s Cup is an in-season tournament that takes placed during the first half of the regular season. All 12 WNBA teams participate. Each team plays 10 games: the first home game and road game against each of the 5 other teams in their conference. The league will also donate $2,000 to a charity of choice for the winner of each of these games.
They’ll donate $500 to a charity of the loser’s choice as well. The teams with the highest winning percentage from each conference compete for a $500,000 prize pool and $10,000 in charity in the Commissioner’s Cup Championship Game. Each player on the winning team will receive $30,000, while players on the runner-up team will receive $10,000 each. The MVP of the Championship Game will receive an additional $5,000.
The Wings’ charity of choice is This is Project Texas, a “nonpartisan effort launched to advance statewide voter education & access, empower community engagement, and to promote the general welfare of all current and future residents of Texas.” Now more than ever, it’s crucial that Americans stay informed about voting, especially in Texas, where the topic of voting rights is highly contentious. By educating Texans on everything from how to vote to the different platforms that each candidate represents, voters can spark change on many of the issues that divide the Lone Star State.
We are thrilled to champion civic engagement in our community through our partnership with This Is Project Texas during our #CommissionersCup journey 🙌
— Dallas Wings (@DallasWings) May 20, 2022
Wings against the West
The Wings are currently second in the Commissioner’s Cup standings at 2-0. The same goes for the general Western Conference standings at 5-3. Evidently, Dallas is off to a great start this season. Let’s take a look at the five teams the Wings will have to beat to reach the championship game.
Las Vegas Aces
The Aces have started both the 2022 WNBA season and their quest for the Commissioner’s Cup on a roll, going 7-1 in the general standings and 7-0 in Commissioner’s Cup play. Las Vegas will clearly be the biggest Western Conference challenge for the Wings to overcome. The Wings are yet to play Las Vegas this season. They’ll go head-to-head for their first Commissioner’s Cup battle in Las Vegas on June 5th. Ten days later, they’ll fight for a win in Dallas on June 15th.
Seattle Storm
The Storm are a historically great team, recently winning the 2020 championship. They sit just one win below the Wings at third in the general standings. However, the margin is much larger in Commissioner’s Cup play, where the Storm have lost three more games. The Storm have some great pieces in Breanna Stewart, Jewell Loyd, and Sue Bird, but if the Wings continue to play at the same high level they’ve been playing at so far, they’ll certainly give the Storm a run for their money as one of the best teams in the Western Conference. The two teams will battle in Seattle on June 3rd and Dallas on June 10th.
Los Angeles Sparks
The Sparks were dead last in the Western Conference last season and continue to have a losing record this season. They currently sit in fourth in the general standings at 3-6 and dead last in the Commissioner’s Cup standings at 1-3. Though the Wings weren’t much better than the Sparks last season, the team has taken a turn for the better and has a much higher chance of besting Los Angeles this season. It’s highly likely that the Wings will perform much better than the Sparks in this year’s tournament. The two teams will play in Los Angeles tonight and in Dallas on June 19th.
Phoenix Mercury
The Wings have played the Mercury one time this season, winning 94-84. Historically, the Mercury have been far better than the Wings, but this season is a different story. While the Wings are performing better than they ever have before, the Mercury are strangely underperforming. They sit at fourth in Commissioner’s Cup play at 2-4 and fourth in the general standings at 2-5.
If both teams follow their current trajectories, there’s a good chance Dallas can best Phoenix in the Commissioner’s Cup. The Wings have already won one Commissioner’s Cup game against the Mercury, and will fight their second battle at home on June 17th.
Minnesota Lynx
The Lynx have not been playing well at all this season, sitting at dead last in the general standings at 2-6. They’re also tied for last in the Commissioner’s Cup at 1-3. The Lynx have some notable names on their roster, including veteran Sylvia Fowles in her last season and former Wing Moriah Jefferson. However, they’re also missing some key players, namely forward Napheesa Collier, who just delivered her first baby.
Collier is out indefinitely, so it’s likely the Lynx will continue on a similar trajectory until she returns at full strength. If both teams continue playing the way they are right now, the Lynx will be the easiest team for the Wings to beat on their way to the championship game. Dallas has beaten Minnesota at home already, and they’ll battle them again on the road on June 28th.
Recap
Things are looking good for the Wings and their quest to win the Commissioner’s Cup this season. Dallas has played amazingly on the road this season, going 4-1. However, they only recently won their first home game after losing two previously.
If the Wings can continue dominating away games and extend their win streak at home, they could shape up to be a top 2 team in the Western Conference; and, if they can beat an Eastern Conference powerhouse like the Sky or Mystics and bring home the Commissioner’s Cup, they’ll bring glory (and money) to themselves, their team, and their city — all while raising funds for a great cause.
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