WNBA and Wilson Introduce Unique Ball for the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup Tournament
The WNBA and Wilson Sporting Goods unveiled the official game ball that will be in use throughout the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup in-season tournament. The event tips off Saturday, June 1 when the Chicago Sky, led by Angel Reese, the No. 7 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft class, visit the Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark, the No. 1 overall selection and official Wilson Athlete (12:00 p.m. ET, ESPN). The contest marks the first meeting between Reese and Clark as pros.
“Introducing a new ball for the Commissioner’s Cup presented by Coinbase is a step forward in making our in-season tournament a distinct and recognizable WNBA tentpole,” Bethany Donaphin, Head of WNBA League Operations, said. “The fire orange and white WNBA ball remains iconic, but this new black, white, and rose gold color scheme makes it instantly clear to fans when they are watching a Commissioner’s Cup game.”
Features of the Commissioner’s Cup Ball:
- Colorways: Black and white design.
- Material: Composite leather with Wilson’s Evo NXT® construction.
- Panels: Eight alternating black and white panels.
- Graphics: Embossed, stylized graphics in rose gold.
- Trophy Image: Championship trophy image on one white panel.
- Official Designation: Text stating “Official Commissioner’s Cup Ball.”
- Signatures: WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert’s signature.
- Branding: “Wilson®” name in rose gold.
Commissioner’s Cup Championship Details:
- Launch Year: 2021.
- Presenting Sponsor: Coinbase.
- Competition: In-season with designated regular-season conference games.
- Format: Each team plays five games, one against each in-conference rival.
- Schedule: June 1-13 as qualifying games, part of the 40-game schedule.
- Prize Pool: $500,000, plus an additional $120,000 in cryptocurrency.
- Player Bonus: $5,000 in cryptocurrency for each player in the championship game.
- Charitable Contributions: Monetary donations to non-profit organizations.
- Winning Team Donation: $3,000 per Cup game for local organization.
- Losing Team Donation: $1,000 per Cup game for selected organization.
- Championship Donations: $10,000 to the winner’s non-profit, $5,000 to the runner-up’s.
- Championship Date: Tuesday, June 25.
- Venue: Arena of the team with the best Cup play record.
The Official Commissioner’s Cup ball will be available for purchase beginning today exclusively at Wilson.com.
