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2021 WNBA Commissioner's Cup

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2021 WNBA Commissioner's Cup Game
Cup Final
Connecticut Sun Seattle Storm
(9-1) (8-2)
57 79
Head coach:
Curt Miller
Head coach:
Noelle Quinn
1234 Total
Connecticut Sun 1817517 57
Seattle Storm 28182211 79
DateAugust 12, 2021
VenueFootprint Center, Phoenix, Arizona
MVPBreanna Stewart (Seattle)
RefereesEric Brewton, Cheryl Flores, Tiara Cruse
Attendance5,006
United States TV coverage
NetworkAmazon Prime
Announcers
2022 →

The 2021 WNBA Commissioner's Cup was the WNBA's first ever Commissioner's Cup in league history. The Cup Final featured the top Eastern Conference Cup Connecticut Sun facing off against the top Western Conference team Seattle Storm.[1] The Sun came into the Cup Final with a Cup record of 9–1 against fellow Eastern Conference teams, while the Storm entered with a 8–2 record against their Western Conference counterparts.

Led by Cup MVP Breanna Stewart, Seattle won the game by double-digits, claiming the inaugural Cup Final Title.

Road to the Cup Final

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The Commissioner's Cup starts by designating a portion of regular-season games – 10 games per team – as counting towards Cup play. The team from each conference with the top record in designated “Cup games” then compete for the Commissioner's Cup title and a special prize pool. Cup games are the first home game and first road game each team plays against its five conference rivals.[2]

Standings

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Eastern Conference
Pos Team Pld W L
1 Connecticut Sun 10 9 1
2 Chicago Sky 10 6 4
3 New York Liberty 10 5 5
4 Atlanta Dream 10 4 6
5 Washington Mystics 10 4 6
6 Indiana Fever 10 2 8
Source: [3]
Western Conference
Pos Team Pld W L
1 Seattle Storm 10 8 2
2 Minnesota Lynx 10 7 3
3 Las Vegas Aces 10 6 4
4 Phoenix Mercury 10 5 5
5 Dallas Wings 10 3 7
6 Los Angeles Sparks 10 1 9
Source: [3]

Game Summary

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Coming out of the Olympics Break, Seattle showed no signs of fatigue with having 5 players playing in the Olympics. They worked well together and jumped out to an early lead. The Sun battled back together down 10 after the first quarter. The game was back and forth in the second quarter and the Sun trailed by just five with 4:50 to play in the second and would have cut their deficit to eight at the break had DeWanna Bonner's half court make just after the buzzer counted. It wasn't until the Storm won the third 22-5 that the game was truly out of reach.

Seattle scored the first eight points out of the break with four coming from Sue Bird, who ended the second with a trey. The Storm went on to lead by as many as 31 and Bird finished with 10 points and five assists. The third member of Seattle's big three, Jewell Loyd, notched 16 points and three assists.[4]

August 12
7:00pm ET
Seattle Storm 79, Connecticut Sun 57
Scoring by quarter: 28-18, 18-17, 22-5, 11-17
Pts: Breanna Stewart (17)
Rebs: Mercedes Russell (7)
Asts: Sue Bird (5)
Pts: Bonner
Hiedeman 11
Rebs: Brionna Jones (11)
Asts: Jasmine Thomas (3)
Footprint Center
Attendance: 5,006
Referees: Eric Brewton, Cheryl Flores, Tiara Cruse

Team rosters

[edit]
Seattle Storm roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.No.Nat.NameHeightWeightDOBFromYrs
G10United StatesBird, Sue5' 9" (1.75m)150 lb (68kg)1980-10-16Connecticut17
F22United StatesBurdick, Cierra6' 2" (1.88m)172 lb (78kg)1993-09-30Tennessee4
G8United StatesBurke, Kennedy6' 1" (1.85m)182 lb (83kg)1997-02-14UCLA2
G21United StatesCanada, Jordin5' 6" (1.68m)135 lb (61kg)1995-08-11UCLA3
G24United StatesLoyd, Jewell5' 10" (1.78m)148 lb (67kg)1993-10-05Notre Dame6
C13AustraliaMagbegor, Ezi6' 4" (1.93m)176 lb (80kg)1999-08-13Australia1
G11RussiaPrince, Epiphanny5' 9" (1.75m)179 lb (81kg)1988-01-11Rutgers11
C2United StatesRussell, Mercedes6' 6" (1.98m)195 lb (88kg)1995-07-27Tennessee3
F33United StatesSamuelson, Katie Lou6' 3" (1.91m)163 lb (74kg)1997-06-13Connecticut2
F30United StatesStewart, Breanna6' 4" (1.93m)170 lb (77kg)1994-08-27Connecticut4
F7AustraliaTalbot, Stephanie6' 2" (1.88m)192 lb (87kg)1994-06-15Australia3
G23United StatesWilliams, Kiana5' 8" (1.73m)135 lb (61kg)1999-04-09StanfordR
Head coach
Bulgaria Noelle Quinn (UCLA)
Assistant coaches
United States Gary Kloppenburg (UC San Diego)
United States Ryan Webb (Seattle)
United States Perry Huang (Fresno Pacific)
Athletic trainer
Caroline Durocher

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured Injured

  WNBA roster page
Connecticut Sun roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.No.Nat.NameHeightWeightDOBFromYrs
G/F24United StatesBonner, DeWanna6' 4" (1.93m)143 lb (65kg)1987-08-21Auburn11
G/F21United StatesCarrington, DiJonai5' 11" (1.8m)175 lb (79kg)1998-01-08BaylorR
G/F3United StatesCharles, Kaila6' 1" (1.85m)167 lb (76kg)1998-03-23Maryland1
G2United StatesHiedeman, Natisha5' 8" (1.73m)135 lb (61kg)1997-02-10Marquette2
G20United StatesJanuary, Briann5' 8" (1.73m)144 lb (65kg)1987-01-11Arizona State12
F42United StatesJones, Brionna6' 3" (1.91m)230 lb (104kg)1995-12-18Maryland4
F35Bosnia and HerzegovinaJones, Jonquel6' 6" (1.98m)190 lb (86kg)1994-01-05George Washington4
F4United StatesJones, Stephanie6' 3" (1.91m)185 lb (84kg)1998-07-10MarylandR
F1United StatesMompremier, Beatrice6' 4" (1.93m)190 lb (86kg)1996-08-08Miami (FL)1
F25United StatesThomas, Alyssa Injured6' 2" (1.88m)185 lb (84kg)1992-04-12Maryland6
G5United StatesThomas, Jasmine5' 9" (1.75m)143 lb (65kg)1989-09-30Duke9
Head coach
United States Curt Miller (Baldwin Wallace)
Assistant coaches
United States Brandi Poole
United States Chris Koclanes
Athletic trainer
United States Nicole Alexander
Strength and conditioning coach
United States Analisse Rios

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured Injured

  WNBA roster page

References

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  1. ^ "WNBA Cup Leaderboard". wnba.com. WNBA. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  2. ^ "2020 WNBA Season to Feature Inaugural Commissioner's Cup, Expanded 36-Game Schedule for Teams and More ABC Games". Wnba.com. WNBA. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  3. ^ a b "2021 WNBA Commissioner's Cup Leaderboard".
  4. ^ Ward, Zachary (August 13, 2021). "Stewart brilliant again in championship setting, Storm take inaugural Commissioner's Cup". swishappeal.com. Swish Appeal. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
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