​The Commissioner’s Cup has wrapped up. Or has it? The Cup final on Tuesday was a repeat of the 2023 championship, with the New York Liberty once again overcoming the Las Vegas Aces. Another trophy to add to the case 🔥🏆 pic.twitter.com/SMoV6aiDaX — New York Liberty (@nyliberty) July 2, 2026
Friday night gave the Liberty a chance to relive the 2024 Cup final, even though they’d rather forget the loss to the Minnesota Lynx. After a few celebratory days, New York welcomes the league-leading Lynx to Barclays Center (7:30 p.m. ET, ION).
Meanwhile, the Aces can draw a line back to their 2022 Cup triumph, when they beat the Chicago Sky in the final. Before heading to Brooklyn for the Cup title game, the Aces stopped in Chicago and beat the Sky. Now they can complete their Cup storyline by beating the Sky at home (10 p.m. ET, ION).
If the Cup trend holds, the Lynx will beat the Liberty, and the Aces will beat the Sky again. So, what would it take for those outcomes to unfold? Here are the pivotal factors in both games. In the comments, share your thoughts. Can the Lynx topple the Liberty?
Napheesa Collier has rejoined team activities, but the 2024 Commissioner’s Cup MVP won’t play in this rematch, and Minnesota hasn’t announced a season debut timeline for her. Even without Collier—and with rookie point guard Olivia Miles stepping in—the Lynx, who currently lead the standings and added 2025 Cup MVP Natasha Howard, should head into their first 2026-season clash with New York with confidence.
Minnesota remains a model of consistency, thriving on both ends of the floor. The Miles-Howard two-guard punch provides a strong offensive base, buoyed by a veteran supporting cast and a standout shooter in Nia Coffey. Coffey embodies the Lynx’s defensive ethos, evolving into a disruptive playmaker who can lockdown her matchup within Minnesota’s system.
The Liberty, by contrast, have shown inconsistency, partly due to availability issues. They rank in the top five in both offensive and defensive ratings, yet they can lurch on one end or the other, a gap that should be smaller given the talent—the deepest roster in the league—that they possess. The 2026 season suggests a Cup-winning hangover might be looming for New York, yet maybe Tuesday’s matchup could rewrite that narrative.