The WNBA is about to tip off its 28th season on Tuesday night. From the powerhouse Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty to emerging new talent like Caitlin Clark taking the floor, the league is growing faster than ever. Here's what you need to know.
What to see on opening night:
Four games will be played on Tuesday night:
The New York Liberty against the Washington Mystics
The Indiana Fever against the Connecticut Sun
Phoenix Mercury vs. Las Vegas Aces
The Minnesota Lynx vs. the Seattle Storm
2023 MVP Breanna Stewart joined the Liberty in free agency last February after playing her first seven years in Seattle. Joining a core cast of Sabrina Ionescu, Jonquel Jones, Betnijah Laney and Courtney Vandersloot, Stewart led the Liberty to the finals, where they fell to the Las Vegas Aces.
The Fever are bringing rookie phenom Caitlin Clark to Connecticut, where tickets are already sold out at Mohegan Sun Arena, the first sold-out home opener in more than 20 years, the team said in a press release Clark became college basketball's all-time NCAA Division I leader leading scorer in March and, after being selected at the top of the 2024 draft, has high expectations heading into his first season.
While Clark is the new kid in town, the Vegas Aces are the big kids. The team won its second straight championship last year, beating Liberty 70-69 in Game 4 of the series despite losing several starters. Even with the hoop legend Candace Parker's retirementthe Aces still have stars in spades, returning two-time MVP A'ja Wilson, Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray.
The Phoenix Mercury will be without star Brittney Griner, the team announced Monday, after the center fractured a toe on her left foot. Griner missed the entire 2022 season because of it months detention in a Russian prison on drug charges.
The Storm have moved on from the Breanna Stewart era, ranking third in the CBS Sports power rankings (Behind the Aces and Liberty). The team acquired forward Nneka Ogwumike and guard Skylar Diggins-Smith in free agency to help the league's leading scorer, Jewell Lloyd.
The opening night roster will be available to watch on ESPN networks, with select games streaming on ESPN+, Disney+ and WNBA League Pass. The remainder of the season will be televised on CBS, ESPN, ABC, ION, Prime Video and NBATV.
Regular season play continues through the end of September, with the All-Star Game scheduled for July 20 in Phoenix. The WNBA will pause play after the All-Star Game until August 15 of this year so that athletes can compete with their respective national teams in the Summer Olympics.
Grow the game
With the foundation laid by past WNBA stars and the addition of exciting new talent like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Kamilla Cardoso, Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson, more eyes are on the league than ever before. This year has seen a significant upturn in investment in the women's league.
The WNBA consists of only 12 teams, with 12 spots per team; it is not uncommon for a selected player to be removed from the final roster a few weeks later. The Los Angeles Sparks, who selected Brink and Jackson with the top five picks, waived 28th overall pick McKenzie Forbes on Sunday.
Fortunately for bubble players, the WNBA is expanding for the first time since 2008. League commissioner Cathy Englebert announced in October that the Golden State Warriors received a WNBA team for 2025. On Friday, CBC Sports reported that Toronto would be next, getting an expansion team for 2026.
“It's complex because you need a track and practice facilities and player housing and all that stuff, you need ownership groups that are committed for the long term. The good thing is that we get a lot of calls,” Englebert said during a conference call press prior to the project. last month, he added that he was confident the league could grow to 16 teams by 2028.
Along with expanded job opportunities, WNBA players will receive expanded benefits previously reserved for their male counterparts. The league announced a charter flight partnership with Delta Air Lines last week so players will no longer have to fly to games on commercial airlines.
“I express my gratitude and support for a bold move by the commissioner and team governors who, in turn, show that they understand and value the health and safety of female players. It's time to be transformative. It's time of betting on women,” WNBPA. President Nneka Ogwumike said in a press release.
While Clark and the Fever were seen enjoying themselves on a charter flight in Connecticut on Monday, staff from several teams told ESPN they had not heard from the league about when they would be allowed to rent.
The growing investment in the WNBA isn't just domestic — the league's growing profile has also brought sponsorship opportunities for athletes. Clark signed a $28 million endorsement deal with Nike, which he announced an upcoming signature shoe with A'Ja Wilson, the first black woman to front a signature shoe for the company since Sheryl Swoopes in 2002.
Kim Kardashian's shapewear brand SKIMS unveiled an underwear campaign Monday to celebrate its partnership with the league featuring Candace Parker, Cameron Brink, Dijonai Carrington, Kelsey Plum and Skylar Diggins-Smith. The collaboration is SKIMS' first to feature female players. The company, valued at $4 billion by Forbes, also has partnerships with the NBA and Team USA.
