Three Years Later and the New York Liberty are WNBA Commissioner’s Cup Champions Again

2026 Commissioner Cup Champions (Photo: New York Liberty)

BROOKLYN – Three years ago the New York Liberty announced themselves; this year they proved it was not a fluke. When the New York Liberty captured the 2023 Commissioner’s Cup under head coach Sandy Brondello, it marked a turning point for a franchise on the rise. The victory served as a springboard for a team that reached the WNBA Finals later that season before capturing its first WNBA championship in 2024, ending a 28-year title drought for one of the league’s original franchises.

Now in 2026, the Liberty are once again Commissioner’s Cup champions after defeating the Las Vegas Aces for the second time in a Commissioner’s Cup final. In doing so, New York became the first franchise in WNBA history to win multiple Commissioner’s Cup titles.

The Commissioner’s Cup is the WNBA’s annual in-season tournament that combines elite competition with community impact. From June 1-17, teams competed in designated Cup games, with the top team from each conference advancing to the championship game. Players competed for a share of a $500,000 prize pool, while teams also earn donations for charities selected by their organizations. Following the addition of two expansion franchises in 2026, the league adjusted the format so that each team plays every conference opponent once during Cup play. All Commissioner’s Cup games counted toward the regular-season standings, with the exception of the championship game.

While the roster has evolved since New York’s 2023 Commissioner’s Cup championship, the foundation remains intact. Despite injuries and the transition to first-year head coach Chris DeMarco, the Liberty continue to rely on the core trio of Sabrina Ionescu, Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones that helped elevate the franchise into championship contention.

The paths to each championship, however, have looked different. During the 2023 Commissioner’s Cup run, New York entered the final with a 24-6 record. This season, the Liberty reached the championship at 12-8, navigating injuries, roster turnover and the implementation of a new offensive system.

Several familiar faces from the 2023 squad remain, including Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, Marine Johannès and Han Xu. At the same time, New York has successfully blended veteran additions and international talent into the rotation while maintaining the identity that has made the Liberty one of the WNBA’s premier teams.

2023 Commissioners Cup Team Celebration (Photo: Getty Images)

One of the biggest developments during the 2026 season has been the emergence of rookie guard Pauline Astier. With Ionescu sidelined early in the year, Astier stepped into an expanded role and provided much-needed stability at the point guard position.

Averaging 10.1 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game, Astier has complemented the Liberty’s offense with pace, rim pressure and playmaking. The advanced metrics reinforce her impact, as her individual offensive rating of 111.7 surpasses the team’s overall mark of 110.4 while posting a +4.9 net rating.

Her importance was once again evident in the Commissioner’s Cup Final, where she logged 31 minutes, finishing with 15 points, five rebounds and four assists while consistently putting pressure on the Aces’ defense. As Ionescu returned to full health, the pairing of both guards created a balanced backcourt that allowed Sabrina to operate more frequently off the ball while preserving New York’s defensive versatility.

The Liberty have also received valuable contributions from returning players Leonie Fiebich and Rebekah Gardner, along with veteran additions Satou Sabally and Rebecca Allen. Additional depth from Raquel Carrera, Marine Fauthoux and Anneli Maley has allowed New York to better withstand injuries and difficult matchups throughout the season.

The strongest similarity between the 2023 and 2026 teams can be found in the numbers.

In 2023, New York posted an offensive rating of 107.8 and a defensive rating of 97.0. Through the first 20 games of the 2026 season, the Liberty own an offensive rating of 107.3 and a defensive rating of 101.5.

While the offensive efficiency has remained remarkably consistent, the defensive rating illustrates one of the team’s biggest challenges. New York is allowing opponents more efficient scoring opportunities than it did during its 2023 championship run, a trend reflected in several games where double-digit leads were erased because of inconsistent rotations and defensive lapses.

Even so, the formula has remained largely unchanged. Elite star power, three-point shooting, roster depth and positional versatility continue to define the Liberty’s identity.

That identity was on full display in both Commissioner’s Cup championship victories.

In 2023, Marine Johannès scored 17 points and knocked down five three-pointers while Stewart, Jones and Ionescu combined for 41 points. Jonquel Jones earned Commissioner’s Cup MVP honors by anchoring both ends of the floor.

Three years later, the stars once again delivered. Ionescu erupted for 26 points, including five three-pointers, Stewart added 25 points and 11 rebounds, and Astier contributed 15 points in one of the biggest games of her young career.

The names around the core may have changed, but when the lights were brightest, New York’s championship formula looked remarkably familiar.

Managing Midgame Adjustments

One area that continues to evolve for the Liberty is lineup management, particularly during the middle stages of games. Throughout the season, New York has built sizable leads only to see opponents climb back into games during stretches of rotational experimentation. The pattern surfaced in losses to Seattle and Golden State and briefly reappeared during the Commissioner’s Cup Final, when a 16-point advantage was trimmed to three by the end of the third quarter.

The Liberty’s early-season victory over Connecticut provides one example of what their most balanced lineups can look like.

Box Score for the first matchup between the New York Liberty and the Connecticut Sun in 2026 season (Photo: WNBA)

Featuring Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones, Marine Johannès and Pauline Astier, New York exploded for a 66-37 halftime lead—the franchise’s highest-scoring first half in three seasons. Stewart finished with 31 points and 10 rebounds, while Johannès added 17 points and five three-pointers.

Liberty First Lineup Against Connecticut to start the season. (Photo: Databallr)

The numbers illustrate why that group has been successful offensively. The lineup owns a +1.8 net rating and a 119.6 offensive rating, reflecting the shot-making and spacing created by having multiple offensive threats on the floor.

Defensively, however, the group has been more vulnerable. A 117.8 defensive rating suggests that while the lineup can overwhelm opponents with its scoring, it often struggles to consistently generate stops, defend in transition and maintain leads against stronger competition.

One lineup worth monitoring moving forward features Stewart, Jones, Laney-Hamilton, Fiebich and Astier. Although the group has logged only 16 minutes together this season, it owns a +17.8 net rating, a 124.2 offensive rating and a 106.5 defensive rating. With Laney-Hamilton continuing to work her way back from injury and Satou Sabally now sidelined, that combination could become increasingly important as Chris DeMarco searches for greater lineup stability.

The Commissioner’s Cup Final also highlighted how roster availability continues to shape New York’s rotations. While Laney-Hamilton was available, she did not see the floor, and Han Xu was also a DNP. Laney-Hamilton’s defensive versatility and ability to guard multiple positions have been valuable throughout her Liberty tenure, making her absence from the rotation particularly noticeable against a Las Vegas team that relies heavily on guard play and attacking downhill. With Sabally unavailable and two experienced frontcourt options not part of the rotation, DeMarco was forced to lean on a shorter group throughout much of the night.

The common thread throughout the season has been the value of pairing another primary ball handler with Sabrina Ionescu. Whether alongside Astier or Johannès, those two-guard combinations have allowed Ionescu to work more effectively off the ball while helping balance the Liberty’s perimeter defense.

The two most effective Five-Out Lineups used during the Commissioners Cup. (Photo:Databallr)

The championship game itself illustrated both the Liberty’s strengths and areas for continued growth.

As Las Vegas erased much of New York’s 16-point lead during the third quarter, DeMarco stayed with his bench-heavy rotation before reintroducing Stewart and Ionescu midway through the fourth. Once the starters returned alongside Astier and Fiebich, the Liberty regained control.

Astier’s go-ahead three-pointer with 6:59 remaining gave New York a 72-71 lead before Stewart followed with a transition layup moments later, swinging momentum back in the Liberty’s favor.

The victory ultimately reinforced what has become one of the season’s recurring themes: New York has the talent to withstand adversity, but identifying the right combinations at the right moments may be just as important as the talent itself.

Re-emergence of Sabrina Ionescu

Few players generated more discussion during the Liberty’s early-season stretch than Sabrina Ionescu.

After battling both an ankle injury and a back injury, Ionescu understandably needed time to regain both her rhythm and confidence. Questions quickly followed. Was she still the same player? Would she return to the form that helped lead New York to a WNBA championship in 2024?

The answer became increasingly clear as the season progressed.

As Ionescu’s minutes increased, so did her production. During New York’s regular-season victory over Las Vegas on June 23, she finished with 16 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and a steal. Although the Liberty dropped consecutive games to Seattle and Golden State, her play continued trending upward before culminating in one of her best performances of the season in the Commissioner’s Cup Final.

Against the Aces, Ionescu scored 26 points while adding five rebounds and five assists, setting the tone from the opening tip by scoring the Liberty’s first eight points. She entered halftime with 17 points as New York repeatedly leaned on the chemistry between Ionescu and Breanna Stewart in pick-and-roll actions.

The Liberty also diversified the ways they created offense for their star guard. Rather than relying solely on traditional pick-and-roll sets, New York incorporated off-ball screening actions, including Zip Iverson Loop Pins, STS baseline out-of-bounds actions and guard-to-guard screening concepts. Those actions allowed Ionescu to attack downhill, relocate into catch-and-shoot opportunities and create easier scoring chances throughout the game.

The addition of Pauline Astier has also played an important role in Ionescu’s resurgence. With Astier handling primary point guard responsibilities for stretches of the game, Ionescu has been able to spend more time working off the ball—where her shooting gravity and movement create additional spacing for the offense.

Over her last four games, Ionescu averaged 16.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game, a steady progression that arrived at exactly the right time for New York.

The Commissioner’s Cup Final served as a reminder of what makes Ionescu one of the league’s premier guards. The version of Sabrina that helped deliver championships to New York never disappeared—she simply needed time, health and continuity within a new offensive system.

Following the game, Ionescu said, “I always continued to have that belief in myself since I know the work I put in. (An) injury or two isn’t going to diminish who I am.” Her words reflected the resilience that defined both her season and the Liberty’s championship run. As the team accepted the Commissioner’s Cup trophy from WNBA Commissioner Cathy Englebert, Barclays Center echoed with chants of “Sab-ri-na,” a fitting ovation for a player whose return to form arrived at exactly the right moment.

For a Liberty team with championship aspirations, her re-emergence may ultimately prove to be one of the biggest victories of the season.

The Commissioner’s Cup Final

Barclays Center was electric from opening tip to the final buzzer as the Liberty completed what no other franchise had accomplished before — capturing a second Commissioner’s Cup title. From pregame introductions through the trophy presentation, the atmosphere reflected a fan base that believed this group could once again accomplish something special.

In-Game Performance by Ellie the Mascot showcasing the amount of fans that attended the game. (Photo: Melissa Marshall)

The victory was far from perfect.

Las Vegas, despite playing without A’ja Wilson, remained a formidable opponent behind Jackie Young‘s 30-point performance and Chennedy Carter’s relentless pressure attacking the paint. Yet every time the Aces threatened to seize momentum, New York responded with timely shot-making, veteran leadership and composure.

Although turnovers remain an area of concern (53 turnovers over the Liberty’s previous four game), the championship illustrated the team’s ability to overcome its own mistakes. New York controlled many of the statistical categories that ultimately decided the game, winning the rebounding battle 42-30, outscoring Las Vegas  16-9 on second-chance opportunities and recording a 5-0 advantage in blocked shots.

Those margins represented a noticeable improvement from the teams’ previous regular-season meeting and highlighted the Liberty’s ability to capitalize on their size advantage. While the overall field goal percentages were relatively even, New York’s execution in key moments proved to be the difference.

The night also added another historic accomplishment to Breanna Stewart’s remarkable résumé. Already the MVP of the inaugural Commissioner’s Cup with the Seattle Storm, Stewart became the first player in WNBA history to earn the award twice after leading the Liberty to their second in-season championship. Stewart’s second-half takeover will be one that fans remember for a long time.

More importantly, the victory validated what New York has been building throughout the season. “I’m just really proud of the mindset and the mentality of this team. We were going to do whatever it took to get this win,” Stewart said. “We let some slip away, especially on our home court, but really taking pride in representing Barclays and getting the job done.”

Breanna Stewart salutes the Barclays Center crowd as she receives the Commissioner’s Cup MVP Trophy. (Photo: New York Liberty)

That mindset was evident throughout the Commissioner’s Cup run. The Liberty responded to injuries, lineup changes and late-game collapses without losing sight of the bigger picture. Rather than allowing recent setbacks to define them, they used those experiences to sharpen the habits that ultimately delivered another championship.

The Liberty’s championship formula has never been about perfection. It has been about trusting their stars, developing new contributors, adapting through injuries and finding the right combinations when the stakes are highest.

Three years after announcing themselves as contenders, the Liberty proved that their success was never a one-season breakthrough. Different coach. Different role players. Different challenges.

The result, however, remained the same.

The Liberty are once again Commissioner’s Cup champions—and if this championship run demonstrated anything, it’s that the foundation built in 2023 is still very much intact.

A Packed Barclays Center celebrates winning the 2026 Commisioner’s Cup Championship. (Photo: Melissa Marshall)