WNBA: Three questions as Commissioner’s Cup play resumes

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The first day of Commissioner’s Cup play featured a record-breaking blowout and a couple of compelling comebacks. That’s the kind of excitement the WNBA’s in-season competition hopes to generate.

So, what might happen when Cup play resumes on Tuesday?

In the Eastern Conference, the Washington Mystics and Indiana Fever will meet in the first Cup contest for each team (7 p.m. ET, NBATV). Out West, the Phoenix Mercury and Minnesota Lynx both will take the Cup court for a second time, seeking a second Cup win (8 p.m. ET, ESPN3). After dropping their first Cup game, the Seattle Storm will look to rebound against a Dallas Wings team seeing their first Cup action (9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).

Here’s one question for each of the three Cup games:

Can the Mystics keep the Fever off kilter?

Aliyah Boston has led the Fever in assists in their previous two games.

Photo by Kenny Giarla/NBAE via Getty Images

A winless 0-2 without Caitlin Clark, finding a sustainable formula, rather than collecting Cup wins, should be the priority for the Fever.

That challenge, however, has been made more difficult, as Sophie Cunningham also is out with an ankle injury. After exiting Indiana’s loss to the Connecticut Sun, Sydney Colson is not on the injury report. Her availability, along with the arrival of Aari McDonald, who the Fever added on a hardship contract, ensures Indiana will not be without any primary ball handlers. However, the team’s perimeter creation remains shaky, likely requiring head coach Stephanie White to again utilize Aliyah Boston as an offensive hub.

On top of all that, the Mystics already have given the Clark-less Fever a hard time on two occasions, requiring Indiana to deploy a regular-season rotation to get a preseason win before downing them when it counted last Wednesday, 83-77.

Considering the Fever’s questionable ball handling situation, look for DC to apply pressure, deploying the like of Brittney Sykes and Sug Sutton at the point of attack to prevent Indiana from easily getting into their offense. On the other end, Sykes, who is emerging as a historically-prolific foul drawer, can bait the Fever bigs into foul trouble, further disrupting the rotations for the already depleted team.

Will the Lynx stay unde-Phee-ted?

Minnesota Lynx v Golden State Valkyries — After missing the Lynx’s previous game against the Mercury, Napheesa Collier had 24 points, 11 rebounds and four assists in her return against the Valkyries.

On Saturday, the Lynx escaped Phoenix with a 74-71 win over the Mercury, with Natisha Hiedeman delivering the game-winning 3 for a Minnesota team missing Napheesa Collier.

Phee is back, but the Mercury are still without their Engine, as Alyssa Thomas will miss a third-straight game with a calf injury. That situation suggests that it is unlikely that the Mercury can hand the Lynx their first loss, despite the ways in which they’ve been succeeding without their stars.

A win, and particularly a big win, will have the Lynx comfortably atop of the Western Conference Commissioner’s Cup table with a 2-0 record and solid point differential, situating them to return to the championship game and potentially become the first team to repeat Cup champs.

More Malonga in Seattle?

Las Vegas Aces v Seattle Storm — Storm rookie Dominique Malonga is coming of the most impactful game of her WNBA career.

When the Storm and Wings met in mid-May, no battle between the top two picks in the 2025 WNBA Draft emerged. While Paige Bueckers led Dallas with 19 points, Dominique Malonga saw less than two minutes in the 79-71 Seattle victory.

The rematch will also not offer a rookie showdown, as Bueckers remains in concussion protocol. Malonga, however, has a chance to enter the spotlight. The French teenager is coming off her most extended, impactful run of the season, nearly helping the Storm come back and beat the Aces. She was the spark who earned the close from head coach Noelle Quinn.

Will she see similar opportunity on Tuesday? Or, will Seattle, desperate to not fall to 0-2 in Commissioner’s Cup play, much less lose a fourth-straight game overall, be reluctant to again rely on the rookie?

That said, the vet duo of Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins combined for 44 points in the Storm’s prior win over the Wings. A similar output from that pair, along with continued top-notch two-way play from Gabby Williams, should have Seattle back in the win column.