Commissioner's Cup matchup set between two of the hottest teams in the WNBA

No sport has seen a recent rise in popularity quite like women's basketball. From the college ranks to the WNBA, the women's game has been generating excitement and making headlines all year. Attendance and viewership are at record levels thanks to exciting rookies such as Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese and established stars like A'ja Wilson and Alyssa Thomas.

Relative to its own past, women's basketball is more popular than it has ever been, but that popularity has also now permeated the mainstream sports discussion. Just in the last week, for example, the story of the USA Women's Basketball team selections generated as much or more discussion than the NBA and NHL Finals.

The WNBA season is about a third of the way complete, and on June 25 the league will showcase two of its best teams as the New York Liberty get set to host the Minnesota Lynx in the finals of the Commissioner's Cup.

The Commissioner's Cup is an in-season competition in which all 12 teams in the league vie for a spot in the finals, with over $500,000 at stake. The tournament also allows teams to highlight their commitment to social justice by winning money for local charities. This Commissioner's Cup, the Liberty have raised $15,000 for Women Creating Change, which empowers women to become civically engaged in their communities, while the Lynx have raised $13,000 for Gender Justice, which works to create a world in which everyone can thrive no matter their gender, gender identity or expression, or sexual orientation.

This is the fourth year of the Commissioner's Cup, and it's an exciting event not only for the way it demonstrates the league's commitment to being socially active but also because it gives two of its top teams a chance to battle in a standalone game with a lot at stake.

The New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx are two of the hottest teams in the WNBA

The Liberty have star power on their side. Led by Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu and Jonquel Jones, they reached the WNBA Finals last year before falling to the Las Vegas Aces. This year, the Liberty are 11-2 and winners of seven straight, including all five games in the Commissioner's Cup. They're also the only team in the league to beat the 11-1 Connecticut Sun.

The Lynx finished under .500 last season but have been much improved this year. They're currently 9-3 and reached the Commissioner's Cup finals on the strength of a 4-1 record in tournament play. The Lynx's Napheea Collier is the fourth-leading scorer in the league with 20.8 points per game, and her teammate Kayla McBride isn't far behind with 17.8.

New fans who have become interested in the league thanks to Caitlin Clark or any of the other members of this year's exciting rookie class should be sure to watch the Commissioner's Cup finals to see some of the other great players and teams the league has to offer. The game will be streaming on Prime Video on June 25th, though the time has yet to be determined.