Inside the WNBA’s High-Stakes Commissioner’s Cup Final: The Untold Drama of Hardship Contracts Revealed

The past week in the WNBA? Nothing short of electrifying. I mean, when you witness Angel Reese nailing her first-ever triple-double in that solid 78-66 triumph over the Sun, it’s clear the league’s pulse is racing. And let’s talk about those scorching 30-point outings – Paige Bueckers, Caitlin Clark, Napheesa Collier, Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard, Sabrina Ionescu, Jackie Young – all lighting up scoreboards like it’s nothing. But, hang on a second—before we dissect the games you absolutely need to catch, especially with the Commissioner’s Cup Final looming, there’s one piece of the puzzle that’s got me intrigued—and you should be too. We have to unpack those assorted contracts—the hardship and rest-of-season deals—that have been popping up like wildflowers across the league since June began. With injuries piling up and EuroBasket calling some players overseas, rosters aren’t just shifting; they’re practically doing the cha-cha. If you’re into fantasy hoops or just keeping your ear to the ground, understanding these contracts is key—especially as teams scramble to fill gaps and new faces hit the court. Curious to see how all these moving parts come together? Dive in and let’s unravel this together. LEARN MORE

Contrary to popular belief, it is the Golden State Valkyries who lead the WNBA in average attendance rather than the Indiana Fever. While the Fever’s 2025 marketing campaign was created around this idea that the Fever’s “road games sound like home games,” the loyal fanbase in the Bay Area might challenge that notion. In five home games at Chase Center, the Valkyries have eclipsed 18,000 people each time. Expect Golden State head coach Natalie Nakase’s well coached and defensively pesky squad to be ready to annoy the Fever’s offense and turn them over. The Fever will be flying cross country and changing time zones after they play the Sun, a team with the worst net rating, defensive and offensive ratings in the league.

AdvertisementFor players signed recently by Golden State, there probably won’t be many opportunities to remain on the Valkyries as Golden State seemed quite content with that foursome of players before they all jetted off to Europe.

For players signed recently by Golden State, there probably won’t be many opportunities to remain on the Valkyries as Golden State seemed quite content with that foursome of players before they all jetted off to Europe.

For players signed recently by Golden State, there probably won’t be many opportunities to remain on the Valkyries as Golden State seemed quite content with that foursome of players before they all jetted off to Europe.

For players signed recently by Golden State, there probably won’t be many opportunities to remain on the Valkyries as Golden State seemed quite content with that foursome of players before they all jetted off to Europe.

For players signed recently by Golden State, there probably won’t be many opportunities to remain on the Valkyries as Golden State seemed quite content with that foursome of players before they all jetted off to Europe.

For players signed recently by Golden State, there probably won’t be many opportunities to remain on the Valkyries as Golden State seemed quite content with that foursome of players before they all jetted off to Europe.

For players signed recently by Golden State, there probably won’t be many opportunities to remain on the Valkyries as Golden State seemed quite content with that foursome of players before they all jetted off to Europe.

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Indiana Fever @ Golden State Valkyries

AdvertisementNow for Jones, who just signed an emergency hardship following the announcement of Maddy Siegrist being out indefinitely for the Wings, there’s much more of an opportunity to contribute.

Washington Mystics @ Atlanta Dream

After the mid-season cut-down date on July 13, teams can sign players to seven-day contracts instead of rest of the season contracts, which are a “more flexible” alternative to teams that don’t have a ton of cap space. A player can sign at most three seven-day contracts with any one team each season before either that player is waived or that player joins on a ROS contract.It’s vital to understand what these contracts are especially when managing fantasy teams, and when players who didn’t begin the regular season on rosters begin playing games. From May 20 through June 17, WNBA teams have signed a total of 12 different assorted contracts.