The inaugural WNBA Commissioner's Cup, between the Seattle Storm and the Connecticut Sun, was a one-sided affair.
The reigning WNBA Champions recorded a wire-to-wire victory, leading by a maximum margin of 31 points, before eventually winning 79-57.
Breanna Stewart, who was named the Commissioner's Cup MVP, led the scoring charts and contributed across the board with 17 points, four rebounds, four steals, three assists and three blocks in just 27 minutes of action.
✅ WNBA Finals MVP
— Seattle Storm (@seattlestorm) August 13, 2021
✅ Euroleague Final Four MVP
✅ Russian League Finals MVP
✅ FIBA Tokyo Olympics MVP
✅ Commissioner's Cup MVP
...All in the last 10 months. 😤#TakeCover x #TheQueen pic.twitter.com/vAIH5ydDFs
She shot 6-of-8 from the field including 3-of-4 from 3-point range and recorded a game-best plus-minus +27.
After jumping to a 10-point lead after the first quarter, the Sun were still in the game at halftime as they trailed 46-35. The third quarter, however, blew the game open as the Sun were outscored 22-5 in the period.
Although the Connecticut franchise outrebounded their opponents 36-26 including 12-7 on the offensive glass, their shooting and turnovers cost them. They shot 23-of-70 (32.9 percent) from the field, while allowing the Storm to shoot 32-of-65 (49.2 percent) while they turned the ball over 26 times.
The other key contributors for the Storm were the starting backcourt of Jewel Lloyd and Sue Bird. The duo combined for 26 points, eight assists and three steals on 10-of-17 shooting from the field.
Money for @S10Bird 🤑 pic.twitter.com/RBzL3sly8I
— WNBA (@WNBA) August 13, 2021
For the Sun, Jonquel Jones was the top contributor with 10 points, 11 rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block.
By winning the Commissioner's Cup, the Storm not only lift their second trophy in less than a year but each player pockets $30,000 while Stewart receives an additional $5,000 for being named the MVP. On the other hand, the players on the Sun receive $10,000 each for qualifying for the Cup Championship.
Both teams qualified for this game, by topping their respective conferences in the 10 'Cup games' - Connecticut Sun (9-1, East), Seattle Storm (8-2, West).
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