Current:Home > MarketsMinnesota Lynx win 2024 WNBA Commissioner's Cup. Here's how much money the team gets. -FundWay
Minnesota Lynx win 2024 WNBA Commissioner's Cup. Here's how much money the team gets.
View
Date:2025-04-26 08:55:50
The Minnesota Lynx used their hot shooting and slowed down one of the best offenses in the league to beat the New York Liberty, 92-89, and win the 2024 WNBA Commissioner's Cup.
In the first half, it looked like the first-place Liberty were going to cruise toward victory thanks to a hot start from Sabrina Ionescu, but the second half was a different story. New York couldn't stop turning the ball over and Minnesota capitalized on a majority of the opportunities, turning 22 Liberty turnovers into 27 points. Breanna Stewart engineered her own run to cut the deficit to one point in the fourth quarter, but Minnesota held off all late rallies from New York to secure the victory.
The Lynx showed why they lead the WNBA in 3-point shooting percentage with a whopping 14-for-29 (48.3%) performance from beyond the arc. Minnesota got big-time performances from Bridget Carleton and Napheesa Collier, who combined for 44 points and made nine of the 3-point shots for the team. Collier was named the MVP of the final.
The win is just another mark in what has been a remarkable turnaround in Minnesota. A team that finished the 2023 season 19-21, Minnesota has now won seven-straight games, even though Tuesday's game won't count toward the regular season standings or stats. Of those victories, only the win on Tuesday and a win over Los Angeles on June 14 were single-digit wins. At 13-3, Minnesota is tied with the Connecticut Sun for second place in the WNBA and one game back of New York in first place.
Commissioner’s Cup prize
Not only do the Lynx get to claim the Commissioner's Cup trophy, they'll also go home with a solid pay day.
The winners of the Commissioner's Cup are awarded $500,000, about one-third of the WNBA salary cap. With 12 players on a WNBA roster, each player will get around $41,000, and the MVP of the game — Collier — gets an additional $5,000. Coinbase, the sponsor of the Commissioner's Cup, added $120,000 in cryptocurrency to the prize pool so every player on each team will get $5,000, so there's some prize for the Liberty.
Every team partnered with a non-profit organization decided by players for the competition and those organizations also get donations for their teams making and winning the final. The Lynx partnered with Gender Justice and the organization will receive $10,000, and Women Creating Change will get $5,00 from its partnership with the Liberty.
Commissioner's Cup history
The Lynx denied New York a chance to be the first back-to-back Commissioner's Cup winners in the in-season competition's young history. The Liberty won last year's edition by defeating the eventual WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces. Here are all the winners of the Commissioner's Cup:
- 2024: Minnesota Lynx (defeated New York Liberty)
- 2023: New York Liberty (defeated Las Vegas Aces)
- 2022: Las Vegas Aces (defeated Chicago Sky)
- 2021: Seattle Storm (defeated Connecticut Sun)
veryGood! (73)
Related
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- 'Lord of the Rings' exclusive: See how Ents, creatures come alive in 'Rings of Power'
- Olympic surfer's head injury underscores danger of competing on famous wave in Tahiti
- Olympics soccer winners today: USWNT's 4-1 rout of Germany one of six Sunday matches in Paris
- Civic engagement nonprofits say democracy needs support in between big elections. Do funders agree?
- Coco Gauff’s record at the Paris Olympics is perfect even if her play hasn’t always been
- Rita Ora spends night in hospital, cancels live performance: 'I must rest'
- How Brazil's Rebeca Andrade, world's other gymnasts match up with Simone Biles at Olympics
- DoorDash steps up driver ID checks after traffic safety complaints
- Houston Texans lineman Denico Autry suspended six games for violating NFL's PED policy
Ranking
- Finally, good retirement news! Southwest pilots' plan is a bright spot, experts say
- Jessica Springsteen goes to Bruce and E Street Band show at Wembley instead of Olympics
- Olympic surfer's head injury underscores danger of competing on famous wave in Tahiti
- Colts owner Jim Irsay makes first in-person appearance since 2023 at training camp
- FACT FOCUS: Inspector general’s Jan. 6 report misrepresented as proof of FBI setup
- New England Patriots DT Christian Barmore diagnosed with blood clots
- Rafael Nadal's loss vs. Novak Djokovic suggests his time in tennis is running short
- Olympic gymnastics recap: US men win bronze in team final, first medal in 16 years
Recommendation
North Carolina justices rule for restaurants in COVID
Federal Reserve is edging closer to cutting rates. The question will soon be, how fast?
USA's Katie Grimes, Emma Weyant win Olympic swimming silver, bronze medals in 400 IM
Olympic surfer's head injury underscores danger of competing on famous wave in Tahiti
From family road trips to travel woes: Americans are navigating skyrocketing holiday costs
Why Fans Think Pregnant Katherine Schwarzenegger Hinted at Sex of Baby No. 3
Harris is endorsed by border mayors in swing-state Arizona as she faces GOP criticism on immigration
What's in the box Olympic medal winners get? What else medalists get for winning