The Phoenix Mercury will begin the Commissioner’s Cup at home against the Minnesota Lynx.
The in-season tournament spans June 1-17, and includes seven games against each of the Western Conference teams. The team with the best record in the Western Conference will face the team with the best record in the Eastern Conference for a chance to win prize money.
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The Mercury host the Lynx in the first game of the tournament on June 1, and they continue on the road with the Seattle Storm on Wednesday, June 3, and the Portland Fire on Friday, June 5.
In the first meeting, Lynx rookie point guard Olivia Miles posted an impressive stat line of 13 points, seven assists and six rebounds.
Minnesota has been playing well, even without MVP runner-up Napheesa Collier. Collier injured her ankle in Game 3 of the WNBA semifinals against the Mercury, and isn’t expected back until at least early June.
The Storm underwent a significant roster reconstruction with four returners, but have rebuilt their roster through the draft and free agency. One of the biggest selections of the draft was getting Spanish rookie Awa Fam at No. 3. The 19-year-old made her WNBA debut on May 24, contributing 10 points, two rebounds and one steal with two turnovers in 20 minutes.
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The Mercury will head to Portland for the first time since 2002. The Fire initially folded in 2002 after three WNBA seasons, but were added through expansion ahead of the 2026 season.
The Fire stunned the New York Liberty on May 25, with an 81-74 road win. Guard Carla Leite led with 18 points on 8-of-14 shooting.
Entering the Wednesday, May 27, road matchup against the Liberty, Phoenix star Kahleah Copper was averaging 18.7 points per game, Alyssa Thomas 18.0 points and Natasha Mack 8.4 rebounds per game.
Thomas’ 8.0 assists per game trailed only Caitlin Clark for the most in the league.
Reach the reporter or send tips for stories at jenna.ortiz@arizonarepublic.com, as well as @jennarortiz on X.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix Mercury begin Commissioner’s Cup vs Minnesota Lynx
