The WNBA regular season begins Friday night, and all 12 teams will be in action this weekend as the league embarks on its 27th season.
Four games are on tap on opening night, highlighted by a nationally televised late-night game in Los Angeles between the Sparks and the Mercury that will see seven-time All-Star Brittney Griner return to the court after the Phoenix star missed all of last season when she was detained for more than nine months in Russia.
But the night kicks off with a powerhouse matchup in Washington, D.C., when the 2019 champion Mystics – featuring a now healthy, two-time MVP Elena Delle Donne – host the star-laden New York Liberty, who added two former MVPs – Breanna Stewart (2018) and Jonquel Jones (2021) – to a lineup that already includes young star Sabrina Ionescu.
At the same time, No. 1 overall draft pick Aliyah Boston will make her debut in Indianapolis when the Indiana Fever host a Connecticut Sun team that reached the WNBA Finals in 2022. Also in action, the Minnesota Lynx host the Chicago Sky in a battle of former champions who have each undergone significant roster changes in the past couple of years.
ABC will broadcast two afternoon games on Saturday, beginning with a matchup in Dallas between the Wings and the Atlanta Dream. That game will be immediately followed by the last two teams to make their 2023 debut, when two-time MVP A’ja Wilson and the reigning champion Las Vegas Aces face a new-look Seattle Storm team that lost Stewart to New York in free agency and franchise icon Sue Bird to retirement after two decades in the league.
Here is the schedule for opening weekend of the 2023 WNBA regular season, with times and TV info. For the full regular-season schedule, click here.
Friday’s schedule
Connecticut Sun at Indiana Fever, 7 p.m. ET
New York Liberty at Washington Mystics, 7 p.m. ET (NBA TV)
Chicago Sky at Minnesota Lynx, 8 p.m. ET
Phoenix Mercury at Los Angeles Sparks, 11 p.m. ET (ESPN
Saturday’s schedule
Atlanta Dream at Dallas Wings, 1 p.m. ET (ABC)
Las Vegas Aces at Seattle Storm, 3 p.m. ET (ABC)
Sunday’s schedule
Washington Mystics at Connecticut Sun, 1 p.m. ET
Indiana Fever at New York Liberty, 2 p.m. ET (Twitter)
Chicago Sky at Phoenix Mercury, 4 p.m. ET (ESPN)■ Griner’s first home game
