The NBA has been trying a lot of new things in recent years.
In 2020, the NBA introduced a play-in game for teams on the verge of making the playoffs to try to qualify. Last season, the league had its inaugural Season Tournament, which is a tournament separate from the playoffs that takes place within the regular season.
Many assumed the NBA borrowed the format from European soccer leagues, but the WNBA has had its own seasonal tournament, the Commissioner's Cup, since 2021.
Related: Major investigation against WNBA champions is getting more serious
The tournament has been quite successful for the league, creating a relationship with amazon since its Championship Game airs exclusively on Prime Video. The league announced that ratings for the 2023 championship game doubled compared to the previous year, and considering the increase in WNBA viewership this season, that should continue for this year's championship game on June 25. .
The league has also given its players incentives to play as teams compete for a $500,000 prize pool, a considerable sum in a league that has struggled to offer its players equitable contracts.
The WNBA Commissioner's Cup format is different from the NBA's Season Tournament, but it certainly helped the NBA incorporate its own regular-season tournament after seeing the success of the league's tournament of which it owns more than fifty%.
But taking inspiration from the WNBA isn't enough for the NBA to prioritize the WNBA Commissioner's Cup championship game over its own NBA Draft.
Related: The NBA's Woj-Shams Rivalry Is Getting Really Suspicious
WNBA Commissioner's Cup Championship moves to another city
The New York Liberty will host the Minnesota Lynx in the Commissioner's Cup Championship on June 25 with a chance to win the tournament for the second consecutive season.
But Liberty will not host the Lynx at Barclays Center, its stadium located in Brooklyn, New York. Instead, the Commissioner's Cup Championship will be played at the UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, which is about 20 miles from the Barclays Center.
The reason for the move is that the NBA Draft, which is also held at the Barclays Center, is scheduled for June 26 and 27.
More women's basketball:
- All sides of the WNBA's Caitlin Clark jealousy narrative
- The harsh reality behind the WNBA's shockingly low contracts
- WNBA commissioner has big plans for league's next media rights deal
“While we would have liked to be able to bring this game to our fans in our home arena, we are grateful to UBS Arena for hosting us and providing us with a world-class venue in New York,” Liberty CEO Keia Clarke said in a statement. of press.
However, the WNBA may be more to blame for this scheduling mishap than the NBA.
According to Front Office Sports, Liberty warned the WNBA in December about the scheduling conflict, as the NBA had already scheduled its draft date. The NBA has held its NBA Draft at Barclays Center since 2013, without the 2020 Draft which was affected by the pandemic.
The report said Liberty felt the WNBA “ignored the warning.”
When the warning was initially given in December, there was no guarantee the game would be played in New York. When Liberty won last year, they defeated the Las Vegas Aces on the road.
But the venue conflict still could have been expected considering Liberty is one of the best teams in the league. A strong start to the season saw the Liberty take home court for the Commissioner's Cup Championship Game with a victory over the Washington Mystics on June 9.
However, regardless of who should take the blame for the scheduling conflict, the forced move is a tough watch for all parties involved as the WNBA continues to fight for fairness.
Related: A veteran fund manager picks his favorite stocks for 2024
