Valkyries seek more than Commissioner's Cup trophy as they open tournament with win

SAN FRANCISCO - "One game at a time" has been the Valkyries’ mantra this season. But when they beat the Portland Fire in their first Commissioner’s Cup game on Tuesday, even they couldn't pretend that their next handful of games had some stakes to it.

"I think you have to approach it the same way like any other game, but of course, there’s some reasoning behind it," forward Kayla Thornton said of the Valkyries' seven-game Commissioner's Cup schedule. "We’re playing for an organization for the youth, so it kind of means a little bit more."

The Valkyries opened their slate of Commissioner's Cup games with a blowout 95-77 victory. The WNBA's annual in-season tournament runs through June 17 with a championship game played 13 days later. The best team from each conference in cup play will compete for the Commissioner's Cup title.

The competition counts toward a team's regular-season record and is a chance for teams to invest in their local communities. Every team in the league competes for over $200,000 in combined donations to nonprofits that they've partnered with. Teams can earn a $3,000 donation per cup game win while losing teams earn $1,000.

For the Valkyries, every win will funnel a donation to Youth UpRising, an Oakland organization that works to transform East Oakland by developing youth leadership.

Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase said the driving force behind how the Valkyries approach the Commissioner's Cup games is the opportunity to donate to a good cause.

"The extra stakes come from us being able to raise money for the community," Nakase said. “So, for us, when you’re playing for something like that, where we can help the community, that’s where we’re big on. I would always take this very seriously, but having a why behind that, I think that generates a little bit more energy for these games."

Last year, the Valkyries went 3-3 in cup games but were hindered by having multiple players leave for the EuroBasket tournament. The Indiana Fever won the 2025 Commissioner's Cup championship after going 5-0 in cup play and beating the Minnesota Lynx in the cup final.

With the Fire and the Toronto Tempo becoming the 14th and 15th teams in the league, the format has changed slightly. Eastern Conference teams will play six cup games while teams in the West will play seven.

The team with the best record in cup games will be the host of the cup championship game. The winners of the championship will win a pool prize of $500,000 – something that hasn't gone unnoticed by the players.

"We approach every game the same, so of course it’s always nice when maybe you’re playing for an extra bonus or more incentive behind it," Valkyries point guard Veronica Burton said. "But in terms of preparation and approach it remains the same."

The Valkyries will have one of the tougher slates of games remaining on their cup schedule, starting with a matchup at Minnesota on Thursday. Golden State will follow that up with games against Las Vegas, Phoenix, Seattle, Los Angeles and Dallas.

Despite being in their second year of existence, the Valkyries have players and coaches who have won Commissioner's Cup championships.

Nakase and starting center Kiah Stokes won the 2022 Commissioner's Cup with the Aces. Thornton helped the Liberty take the in-season tournament title in 2023, as did forward Cecilia Zandalasini with the Minnesota Lynx in 2024.

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This story was originally published June 3, 2026 at 7:58 AM.