The New York Liberty turned Barclays Center into a full-blown celebration Tuesday night, beating the Las Vegas Aces 93-85 in Brooklyn to become the first franchise to win the WNBA Commissioner's Cup twice. Sabrina Ionescu dropped 26 points, including a deep, game-sealing three in the final minute, while Breanna Stewart piled on 25 points and 11 rebounds. The victory wrapped up a spotless 7-0 run through Cup play and pulled 15,112 fans into the building for the latest big moment of the Liberty's Brooklyn era.
According to WNBA.com, the Liberty claimed the 2026 Commissioner's Cup and finished the in-season tournament unbeaten at 7-0. The league's Cup pages list New York as champion, complete with a Cup leaderboard and details on team donations tied to where clubs finished. For the Liberty organization, it read as another high-water mark since relocating full-time to Brooklyn.
Ionescu's late dagger
Back in the lineup after recent ankle and back issues, Sabrina Ionescu looked every bit like her old self. She knocked down five 3-pointers and buried a deep go-ahead triple with about 17 seconds remaining, a closing stretch the Washington Post credited to her return to form. “Keep the faith and tables will turn at some point and that was tonight,” Ionescu said afterward. Her late burst quieted the Aces, and Barclays answered with a roar that felt more like June playoff energy than a midseason tournament.
Aces rally falls short
Las Vegas played without A'ja Wilson, sidelined by an ankle injury, and leaned heavily on Jackie Young, who led all scorers with 31 points in the loss, CBS Sports reported. The Aces briefly snatched the lead in the fourth quarter but could not slow New York's closing run when it mattered. Coach Becky Hammon praised Young's performance while noting that the team left points on the floor in key trips, a tough pill for a defending powerhouse to swallow.
Stewart named Cup MVP
Breanna Stewart took home Commissioner's Cup Most Valuable Player honors after a highly efficient 9-of-16 shooting night that yielded 25 points and 11 boards, according to WNBA.com. She filled up the box score with four assists, two blocks and two steals, providing the kind of two-way presence that kept the Aces off balance. The MVP nod underscored both her star power and the Liberty's depth, another data point in why this team has become a must-see ticket at Barclays.
Cup purse and community giving
The in-season trophy also comes with a community twist. The Brooklyn Eagle reported that the Liberty's Cup run generated about $28,000 for the African American Policy Forum, with the Nets and Liberty Foundation pledging an additional $10,000. The outlet also noted the announced crowd of 15,112 and framed the postgame scene as a distinctly Brooklyn celebration. With the confetti swept up, the Liberty now pivot to a two-game homestand against Minnesota that starts Friday, with the opener set for 7:30 p.m. and slated to air exclusively on ION TV, per the same report.
