The WNBA has released the national television schedule for its landmark 30th season, welcoming several newcomers to the fold.
Little more needs to said about the who or why. Now, the WNBA has officially informed its growing viewership of the "where."
With the tip-off of its landmark 30th season less than two weeks away, the league unveiled the distribution of its national television schedule, which has welcomed several newcomers to the fold.
Mirroring its similar commitments to their male counterparts, Amazon is having its streaming service Prime Video take on a larger role alongside newcomer NBC. The Peacock Network re-enters the women's basketball realm at an appropriate time, as it was one of the original league broadcasters back in 1997. Though spun-off from NBC Sports, USA Network will likewise partake in this tour, as will incumbents ABC, CBS, ESPN, Ion, and NBA TV.
View the full list of games by network on WNBA.com.
Having already gone over the top 30 games from the 30th upon the schedule's original release back in January, BIL has the top games to watch from each network upon their reveal below ...
ABC: Phoenix at Las Vegas (May 9)
The powers-that-be stressed patience's status as a virtue when it came to scheduling last year's Finals rematch(es) by placing all four New York-Minnesota showdowns in a three-week, mid-summer span. The waiting is the easiest part this time around, as the Aces and Mercury will engage in a de facto Game 5 in Sin City less than 24 hours after the official first tip-offs of the year.
Las Vegas rendered the new best-of-seven Finals format irrelevant in its first staging, cooling the Mercury in a four-game sweep (albeit with the first and third games decided by a combined five points). Most of the Aces that made the third championship trek are back for a fourth go-around, with that cause led by newly-recrowned MVP A'ja Wilson. Phoenix, on the other hand, is inching back toward full strength: despite losing Satou Sabally to New York, it brought back triple-double queen Alyssa Thomas back on one last core designation, giving it a chance to earn at least a quantum of revenge for their fall in the fall.
Honorable Mentions: Dallas at Indiana (May 9), New York at Minnesota (July 11), Indiana at Minnesota (August 2)
Other Offerings: 2026 WNBA All-Star Game (July 25), one semifinal playoff series (TBD, with ESPN)
CBS: Las Vegas at Minnesota (August 8)
Vegas' fantastic Finals showing makes it hard to believe that it wasn't the one seed, with that honor instead going to the Minnesota Lynx. A showdown between multi-pronged post threats Wilson and Napheesa Collier, would be the headlining battle of several positional get-togethers, which also feature Jewell Loyd and Jackie Young's outside prowess against that of Kayla McBride, not to mention the continually divine backcourt prowess of Chelsea Gray
Alas for those hoping to see the best of the West go at it and help the league possibly immediately cash in on its best-of-seven innovation, Collier's postseason injury partly led to the Lynx's early elimination after their 2024 Finals heartbreak and created a sense of what might've been among the basketball public. Only adding to the hypothetical drama is the fact tMinnesota won three of four meetings against the Aces last season, including a 111-58 shellacking in early August that came just before Las Vegas embarked on a closing tear that served as the prelude to the championship.
CBS actually carries two showdowns between the Aces and Lynx, the original set to be staged on June 13 in Sin City. The latter, late summer matchup has a better chance of featuring Collier, who continues to rehab from ankle procedures. Yet another goes right back to The Strip a week after this bout.
Honorable Mentions: Indiana at New York (June 6), Golden State at Las Vegas (June 21), Golden State at Atlanta (July 4)
ESPN: New York at Los Angeles (June 21)
The WNBA's celebration of its 30th anniversary is officially underway. For the time being, the festivities are headlined by the groundbreaking releases from the league's remaining trio of still-stationed original squads, namely those of throwback uniforms that resemble their respective looks from the debut tour of 1997.
The league is throwing itself a SoCal birthday bash to tip off summer, situating the Liberty against the Los Angeles Sparks at Crypto.com Arena. It's the latest rematch of the original cross-coast showdown that got everything started, a 67-57 New York win headlined by the participation of Lisa Leslie, Rebecca Lobo, Penny Toler, and Teresa Weatherspoon.
Similar starpower reigns in this current edition of the matchup: Sabally has joined the Sabrina Ionescu, Jonquel Jones, Breanna Stewart triumvirate in Brooklyn while veterans Dearica Hamby and Kelsey Plum form the new LA guard with Cameron Brink. Both sides are looking to get over some postseason heartbreak ... or lack thereof. The Liberty fell in the first round after their first postseason championship trek, while the Sparks are burdened with the league's longest active playoff drought at five years.
Honorable Mentions: New York at Golden State (June 28), Indiana at Las Vegas (July 5), Indiana at Atlanta (August 16)
Other Offerings: One semifinal playoff series (TBD, with ABC)
Ion: Portland vs. Toronto (@ Vancouver, BC) (August 21)
Resuming its traditional Friday night slate, Ion has an embarrassment of W riches thanks to as many as 50 games available on its docket. The league's traditional powers are, obviously well-represented in that tally but it could be more interesting to take a break from the mainstream and see where the league's newest members stand, especially at this point in their respective maiden voyages.
The Golden State Valkyries certainly set the bar high for their sisters in expansion, becoming the first incoming squad to appear on the WNBA playoff bracket. Both Portland and Toronto have assembled decent rosters through the speedy transactional process to replicate such success: the Fire are literally raising the flames with post threats like Bridget Carleton, Luisa Geiselsoder, Megan Gustafson while champion coach Sandy Brondello is overseeing the new efforts of Marina Mabrey, Brittney Sykes, and local heroine Kia Nurse. It's also part of the Tempo's tour up north, which will also work through Montreal.
Honorable Mentions: Washington at Indiana (May 15), Phoenix at New York (May 29), Golden State at Seattle (June 12)
NBA TV: Toronto at Connecticut (September 24)
Who knows what, if any, postseason implications this game will carry on the final day of the regular season. But, barring a New England miracle, this game will go down in the books, as its destined to be the final WNBA showcase staged a stone's throw away from Mohegan Sun's casino floor.
The Sun has risen in Uncasville for just under a quarter-century and its shining is set to be snuffed out with its future in the hands of new Houston-based ownership set to resurrect the Comets brand come 2027.
Connecticut is in the midst of an undeniable rebuild, but youth in revolt led by previous finds Aneesah Morrow and Saniya Rivers and this month's draftees/national champion teammates Gianna Kneepkens and Charlisse Leger-Walker should provide plenty of cheers for the final go-arounds. Houston native Brittney Griner will also take the Connecticut floor for a year before a potential return home.
Honorable Mentions: Chicago at Portland (May 9), Washington at New York (June 14), Dallas at Las Vegas (June 25)
NBC: Las Vegas at Atlanta (May 17)
The basketball world has roundly cherished the return of the network of "Roundball Rock," and it gets a good one in its return to W broadcasting.
A clash between the Aces and Dream is another "what if" on Sin City's latest championship journey: some believed that Atlanta could stage a staunch defense to Las Vegas' title case after posting a franchise-best season that produced 30 wins to top the Eastern Conference. But the Dream's dream season quickly became a nightmare after Atlanta dropped a semifinal set to the shorthanded Indiana Fever. Had it prevailed, Atlanta would've faced the Aces, who required a full five games to get past Indiana's Caitlin Clark-less playoff push.
It won't do much to ease the pain of last season, but Atlanta, which brought back Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard, and Naz Hillmon while trading for Angel Reese, has a prime opportunity to show that it has gotten over last year's heartbreak against the champions.
Honorable Mentions: Dallas at New York (May 24), Las Vegas at Golden State (May 31), Dallas at Minnesota (August 9)
Other Offerings: One semifinal playoff series (TBD), WNBA Finals (TBD, with USA)
NBCSN/Peacock: Minnesota at Phoenix (June 1)
In addition to its peacock network, NBC's Peacock streaming service and resurrected cable network also get its own slate of games.
Every Lynx fan has likely spent the winter pondering what went wrong in the semifinal series against the Mercury beyond, of course, the Collier injury. They've no doubt waited months to see what they can do for a follow-up, but it'll have to be staged without Carleton and Alanna Smith, who have respectively moved on to Portland and Dallas.
Minnesota did manage to salvage the offseason with the signing of Natasha Howard and drafting of Olivia Miles, but it will likely have to make do without Collier in the early going. An early test rises in the from of this streamed tilt that serves as a playoff rematch, their first visit to the desert since the unthinkable happened at the end of their league-best season.
Honorable Mentions: Washington at Dallas (May 18), Seattle at New York (August 3), Dallas at Golden State (August 17)
Other Offerings: One semifinal series
Prime Video: Las Vegas at Indiana (August 6)
For all the hype that surrounds the Fever and for as much as they accomplished sans Clark last season, the fact of the matter is that they have to taste and succeed at the league's highest levels. That didn't stop the W from giving each and every one of their games a national platform.
It's an honor that's probably well-earned for big game and popularity reasons: to its credit, Indiana did reach the final four last season and several of its players (i.e. Aliyah Boston, Sophie Cunningham, Lexie Hull, Kelsey Mitchell) have formed prominent brands beyond Clark both on and off the floor. Having said that, their schtick will likely wear thin if they're unable get past the semifinal hump.
It's only fair to expect something special out of the group in this latest go-around and putting a scare into the defending champions on a nationally-streamed stage at this time of year would certainly raise the volume.
Honorable Mentions: Minnesota at Dallas (May 14), Dallas vs. Connecticut (@ Hartford, CT, July 2), Indiana at Phoenix (July 9)
Other Offerings: Commissioner's Cup championship game (July 1), One first-round playoff series (TBD)
USA: Atlanta at Minnesota (May 27)
Joining Lynx fans in the sisterhood of pondering what if are supporters of the Dream, who, again, have nothing to show for the best single-season output on their team ledgers. While their contemporaries might've had something to say about a potential meet-up in the Finals, both sides endured heartbreak earlier than anticipated, leading to an even longer offseason than originally anticipated.
This de facto third place game will do little to soften any spirits, but a win here, especially with its early spot on the schedule, could serve as a sterling consolation prize as USA joins the W fold as part of its new Versant branding.
Honorable Mentions: Indiana at Los Angeles (May 13), Seattle at Dallas (June 1), Golden State at Minnesota (August 24)
Other Offerings: One first-round playoff series, WNBA Finals (with NBC)
Geoff Magliocchetti is on X @GeoffJMags
