The Rivalry Clash: Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese to Open WNBA Commissioner’s Cup
What is the Commissioner’s Cup?
The fourth annual WNBA in-season competition is introducing a new format in 2024. From June 1–13, all 30 regular-season games will double as Commissioner’s Cup Games. Each team will play a total of five games, one against each of its in-conference rivals. The results of these games will count toward both the Commissioner’s Cup and regular-season standings. The teams that finish at the top of each conference will compete for a $500,000 prize pool in the Commissioner’s Cup Championship on June 25.
Top Storylines of the 2024 WNBA Season
The 2024 WNBA season has already delivered several captivating storylines in its early weeks:
A’ja Wilson’s Dominance: The reigning Finals MVP, A’ja Wilson, has started the season with five consecutive 20-point, 10-rebound games, setting a WNBA record. She narrowly missed extending this streak to six games by just one rebound on Friday.
Exciting Rookies: Caitlin Clark leads all rookies in scoring with 17.6 points per game (13th in the league) and assists with 6.6 per game (4th in the league). Angel Reese tops all rookies in rebounding, averaging 8.2 boards per game (10th in the league) and 1.3 steals per game. Additionally, Cameron Brink of the L.A. Sparks ranks third overall in blocks, averaging 2.7 per game.
Hot Starts: Phoenix’s Kahleah Copper and Dallas’ Arike Ogunbowale have joined an elite group of players, becoming only the third and fourth in WNBA history to score 140+ points in the first five games of a season.
Unbeaten Sun: The Connecticut Sun are off to a franchise-best 7-0 start. This impressive run is led by DeWanna Bonner, who became the fifth all-time leading scorer in the WNBA during the season opener, and Alyssa Thomas, who has already added to her WNBA triple-double record.
Aces Seeking 3-Peat: The Las Vegas Aces are aiming to become only the second team in WNBA history to win three consecutive titles, following the Houston Comets’ four-peat from 1997-2000. The Aces have started the season with a 4-2 record.
Liberty’s Quest: Last year’s runner-up, the New York Liberty, are off to a 6-2 start as they strive to return to the Finals and secure their first title.
New-Look Storm: After a disappointing 11-29 season last year, the Seattle Storm have retooled by adding 2016 MVP, Nneka Ogwumike and six-time All-Star Skylar Diggins-Smith to join reigning scoring champ Jewell Loyd. This new trio has propelled the Storm to a 5-3 start.
Expansion News: The WNBA is expanding with the Golden State Valkyries joining the league in 2025. Additionally, Toronto has been awarded the league’s 14th team, set to begin play in 2026.
As Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese bring their college rivalry to the professional stage, fans can expect a thrilling start to the 2024 WNBA Commissioner’s Cup. With the added excitement of new competition formats and standout performances, the 2024 season is shaping up to be one of the most exciting in league history.