WNBA Commissioner's Cup tips off Tuesday

The GIST: The WNBA’s second annual Commissioner's Cup contest — an in-season battle for hardware and cold hard cash — tips off tomorrow at 8:30 p.m. ET (on Prime Video), featuring the Western Conference’s electric Las Vegas Aces and the Eastern Conference’s Chicago Sky (aka the reigning WNBA champs). Getcha popcorn ready.

How it works: As a reminder, each W team’s first home and away games against their five conference opponents count toward the Commissioner's Cup standings. Because the Aces and Sky had the best winning percentages in the West and East, respectively, they advanced to tomorrow’s tilt.

• Back to the moola — each player from the winning team can earn up to $30K, while the runner-ups will each cash checks for up to $10K. The MVP will earn an additional $5K for their efforts. The gals are indeed getting paid.

The matchup: The Aces and Sky split their two games so far this season, making tomorrow’s clash all the more intriguing. Add Vegas’ A’ja Wilson, Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young, plus Chicago’s Candace Parker and Emma Meesseman, and there’ll be no shortage of starpower.

• The potential difference-maker? A player who might not be on the floor. Chicago spark-plug Courtney Vandersloot has missed the last four games due to concussion protocols, and it’s unknown if she’ll play tomorrow.

• That said, the Sky are the defending champs for a reason, and they’ll have home court advantage. Can Chicago secure another dub for the Windy City, or does Becky Hammon’s squad have an, ahem, ace, up their sleeve? Only one way to find out.