For the first time in its six-year history, the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup will crown a repeat champion. The fitting finale tethers two era-defining teams, the Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty, on Tuesday night. Winner lifts a gold-plated trophy and splits $500,000 between its players.

There’s a pure symmetry and deep pull to this matchup. Las Vegas, the 2025 WNBA Finals victor, has a decorated big three of A’ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young. New York, the 2024 league champ, matches with Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones and Sabrina Ionescu.

Ahead of the in-season tournament closer, let’s take a look at this growing rivalry and catch up on the recent history.

How to watch Las Vegas Aces at New York Liberty in the 2026 Commissioner’s Cup final
Venue: Barclays Center — Brooklyn, N.Y.
Date: Tuesday, June 30
Time: 7 p.m. ET
TV, streaming: Prime Video
The rivalry between the Aces and Liberty

This push-pull dynamic began during the 2023 season. New York struck first for the Commissioner’s Cup crown. Jones dropped 16 points with 15 rebounds and Marine Johannès hit five 3s. Wilson, disoriented by Jones and Stewart, was held to just 9 points on 2-of-10 from the field.

Las Vegas won when it mattered most, though. The Aces came out on top in the 2023 finals, taking the deciding Game 4 by a single point on the Liberty’s home floor. Wilson was named series MVP and averaged more than 21 points on 50/50/83 percent shooting splits.

The Brooklynites evened the playoff ledger in the 2024 semifinals. Stewart stepped up as a playmaker in the 3-1 series win and led the Liberty in assists. Meanwhile, Vegas’ backcourt duo of Gray and Young both shot below 40 percent. New York went on to claim its inaugural league title in a finals for the ages.

Then there’s Becky Hammon. She wears three rings as the head coach of Las Vegas, but she also played eight seasons for New York from 1999 through 2006. Hammon emerged as the face of the nascent Liberty franchise, only to be traded in the middle of the 2007 draft. She was sent to the San Antonio Silver Stars, who later relocated and became the Aces in 2018.

Hammon will surely hear heckles from the New York crowd — she doubted Jalen Brunson’s championship chops during a 2023 episode of “NBA Today,” a clip that resurfaced during Brunson’s finals MVP heroics for the Knicks.

Watch This: Breanna Stewart with the swat, and later the impressive score

How the teams are faring this seasonLas Vegas Aces

The defending champs endured a strange start to the season, as their ring ceremony was spoiled by an opening-night blowout loss to the Phoenix Mercury. Wilson and her crew have since stabilized — they enter Tuesday’s tilt at 14-5 and No. 1 in offensive rating.

Wilson continues to ball out at an all-world level. The four-time MVP leads the W in scoring at an efficient 25.7 points per game. Gray and Young are both near the top of the league in assists and made 3s.

That starry trio has been supported by newcomer Chennedy Carter, who posted 20 or more points in four of her first eight Aces appearances. But Carter was limited to two eight-minute outings on June 11 and 13, then missed five games because of an unspecified illness. She returned in Sunday’s win versus the Chicago Sky and scored 11 points in 16 minutes.

The Aces are far more vulnerable on the other end, with a middling No. 8 defensive rating so far. In a home loss to the Liberty last week, the Las Vegas perimeter front gave up 13 made 3s. As the Aces’ big three were held in check, the team’s most effective player in that game might’ve been rotation forward Cheyenne Parker-Tyus. She scored 14 points on seven shots and was the only Ace to post a positive plus-minus.

Vegas is 6-1 across Cup play and has posted a plus-24 point differential in those games. The team’s designated community partner for this tournament is the Public Education Foundation.

New York Liberty

Last year’s first-round playoff exit led to a dramatic change at head coach — from Sandy Brondello to Chris DeMarco. The Liberty also let Natasha Cloud walk in free agency, while Satou Sabally was added on a two-year deal.

Stewart and Jones are anchoring the frontcourt with their usual inside-out smoothness. But it’s been a rough start for Ionescu, who has fought through both back and ankle injuries. Through eight games, the four-time All-WNBA guard is averaging career lows in points, rebounds, assists and efficiency. While she works herself back into form, undrafted French rookie Pauline Astier has maximized her minutes.

At 12-8, the Liberty rank sixth in offensive rating and fourth on defense. New York looked its best in the June 23 win at Las Vegas. Stewart paced the seafoam with 20 points and four blocks. Ionescu recorded a double-double and Leonie Fiebich knocked down four treys.

However, Sabally left the game in the first half after she took contact to the face from NaLyssa Smith. The Liberty forward was in concussion protocol for subsequent losses to the Seattle Storm and Golden State Valkyries. She has been ruled out for the Commissioner’s Cup final as well.

New York has gone a perfect 6-0 in Cup games with a plus-69 point differential. The Liberty’s community organization beneficiary is the African American Policy Forum.

WNBA Commissioner’s Cup history

2025: Indiana Fever 74, Minnesota Lynx 59
2024: Minnesota Lynx 94, New York Liberty 89
2023: New York Liberty 82, Las Vegas Aces 63
2022: Las Vegas Aces 93, Chicago Sky 83
2021: Seattle Storm 79, Connecticut Sun 57