UNCASVILLE — The Connecticut Sun is proud to announce the American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut (ACLU-CT) as the team’s beneficiary for the 2025 WNBA Commissioner’s Cup, presented by Coinbase.
“We are honored to be the organization chosen by the Connecticut Sun for this year’s Commissioner’s Cup,” said ACLU of Connecticut’s Executive Director David McGuire. “We appreciate the Connecticut Sun’s commitment to social justice and are grateful to the team for recognizing our team’s dedication to advancing civil rights and liberties in the state. It is more important than ever for people to champion civil rights and liberties, and for people to engage with their government and make the will of the people known. The Connecticut Sun are trailblazers who know the importance of protecting and advancing causes like reproductive justice; LGBTQIA+ and trans rights; immigrant, migrant, refugee, and asylee protections; protecting the power of protest and the First Amendment. Working together at this critical time for our nation and state is a slam dunk.”
“People need to know their rights, and they need to know that the ACLU of Connecticut does our significant advocacy, legal, and policy work to create a firewall that protects all of us at a time where our democracy is under attack,” said ACLU of Connecticut’s Donor Relations Specialist Téylor Uba-Oyibo. “The Connecticut Sun are committed to social justice work that makes our state more equitable and advances the causes of women, LGBTQIA+ people, Black and Brown people, and people of color. Their commitment helps everyone, and we’re grateful to be a part of that.”
This year’s Commissioner’s Cup will also mark the launch of the WNBA’s new anti-hate initiative, No Space for Hate, a league-wide platform aimed at fostering inclusivity, respect, and safety across all WNBA spaces.
The 2025 Commissioner’s Cup will run from June 1 to June 17, with each team playing five in-conference games that count toward both regular season standings and Commissioner’s Cup qualification. The Championship game will take place on Tuesday, July 1, hosted by the team with the best record in Cup play. The Sun have three away games against the New York Liberty on June 1 at 3:00PM EST, the Washington Mystics on June 8 at 3:00PM EST, and the Indiana Fever on June 17 at 7:00PM EST. Connecticut defends their home court against the Atlanta Dream on June 6 at 7:30PM EST and the Chicago Sky on June 15 at 12:00PM EST at Mohegan Sun Arena.
As part of the WNBA’s continued commitment to social justice and community impact, the Commissioner’s Cup will again serve as a platform for charitable giving. Each team selects a local nonprofit organization to support throughout the Cup. Donation amounts for the 2025 Commissioner’s Cup are as follows:
- $3,000 for each Commissioner’s Cup game won
- $1,000 for each Commissioner’s Cup game lost
- $10,000 bonus to the Commissioner’s Cup Finals winner’s organization
- $5,000 bonus to the Commissioner’s Cup Finals runner-up’s organization
“We are proud to support the ACLU of Connecticut with our earnings from this year’s Commissioner’s Cup,” said Jen Rizzotti, Connecticut Sun President. “The organization is a wonderful fit for us, standing for the pillars of our Change Can’t Wait platform—equity and justice. We hope that our contributions made to the ACLU of Connecticut help them to continue to make a positive impact on our local community.”
The American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut defends, promotes, and expands the civil rights and civil liberties of all people in Connecticut through litigation, community organizing and legislative advocacy, and civic education and engagement. We are an inclusive, nonpartisan, and statewide organization within the nationwide American Civil Liberties Union network, powered by our supporters, partners, staff, interns, cooperating attorneys, and our board of directors. For more information, visit www.acluct.org or @acluct on most social media platforms.
Established in 2003, the Connecticut Sun is a professional women’s basketball team in the Women’s National Basketball Association that takes residence at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT. For more information or to purchase season tickets, visit www.connecticutsun.com or call 1-877-SUN-TIXX.
