The WNBAs twenty-sixth season kicks off on Friday May 6, and after a wild free agency, players making their returns to the court, and teams growing hungrier for a championship, it’s guaranteed to be one you don’t want to miss. Here’s how you can keep up with this season, along with some teams and players to look out for!
Season schedule
The WNBA will have a 36 game regular season, up four games from last season. It will begin on May 6 and conclude on August 14, with the playoffs starting August 17 and ending, at the latest, on September 20.
All-Star Game: The Chicago Sky will host the 2022 All-Star game at Wintrust Arena on July 10. This is the first time the All-Star game will be in Chicago and it will be broadcast live on ABC. Additionally, the 3-point contest and WNBA skills challenge will take place July 9 at McCormick Place, and be broadcast live on ESPN.
Commissioners Cup: The Commissioners Cup is an in-season tournament between conference rivals, with each team playing ten designated cup games. The winners of each conference will face each other on July 26 in the Cup Championship Game and compete for a cash prize.
Opening weekend schedule:
Friday May 6:
Indiana Fever at Washington Mystics, 7:00 pm EST, Facebook
Los Angeles Sparks at Chicago Sky, 8:00 pm EST, NBA TV
*This will be the first time that Candace Parker of the Chicago Sky faces her former team*
Las Vegas Aces at Phoenix Mercury, 10:00 pm EST, NBA TV
*Rematch of the 2021 semi-finals*
Minnesota Lynx at Seattle Storm, 10:00 pm EST, WNBA League Pass
Saturday May 7:
Connecticut Sun at New York Liberty, 6:00 pm EST, ESPN
Atlanta Dream at Dallas Wings, 8:00 pm EST, CBS Sports Network
Sunday May 8:
Los Angeles Sparks at Indiana Fever, 3:00 pm EST, Amazon Prime
Washington Mystics at Minnesota Lynx, 8:00 pm EST, ESPN2
Seattle Storm at Las Vegas Aces, 10:00 pm EST, ESPN2
The rest of the schedule can be found on the official WNBA website.
Other notable games:
May 17 Phoenix Mercury at Las Vegas Aces - 10:00 pm ET CBS Sports Network
*2021 semi-finals rematch*
May 21 Phoenix Mercury at Las Vegas Aces - 3:00 pm ET ABC
*2021 semi-finals rematch*
May 31 Phoenix Mercury at Chicago Sky - 8:00 pm ET ESPN2
*2021 finals rematch*
June 10 Chicago Sky at Connecticut Sun - 7:00 pm ET League Pass
*2021 semi-finals rematch*
June 29 Connecticut Sun at Chicago Sky - 12:00 pm ET NBA TV
*2021 semi-finals rematch*
July 2 Phoenix Mercury at Chicago Sky - 1:00 pm ET ESPN
*2021 finals rematch*
August 14 Chicago Sky at Phoenix Mercury - 3:00 pm ET ABC
*2021 finals rematch*
Where to watch
This season, games will be streamed across a variety of networks including Prime Video, CBS and CBS Sports Network, NBA TV, Facebook, ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC. The details for where to watch each game are on the official WNBA website. Additionally, the league offers three subscription options:
League Pass: Offers access to regular season and playoff games - $24.99 for the season
Team Pass: Includes regular season games for the teams selected - $9.99 for the season
Single Game: Allows you to purchase individual regular season or playoff games - $1.99 for a game
It’s important to note that some games will be blacked out and will only be available to watch after the game has ended.
Top title contenders to watch:
Chicago Sky
The Chicago Sky are the defending WNBA champions and looking to repeat. There hasn’t been a repeat champion in the WNBA since 2002, but the Sky remain top contenders and can certainly be the team to break that streak. During the off season, they retained many of their core veterans, re-signed 2021 finals MVP Kahleah Copper, and added 2019 finals MVP Emma Meeseman.
Seattle Storm
The Seattle Storm have been a steady contender, winning championships in both 2018 and 2020. Last season, they were eliminated in the second round, having to play without two time finals MVP Breanna Stewart who suffered an achilles injury. With a healthy Stewart, along with returning guard Jewell Loyd, a fifth championship could be ahead for the Storm. There will also be an added sense of urgency to win a title as this will likely be the final season of all-time assists leader Sue Bird and five time all-defensive first team member Briann January.
Connecticut Sun
If any team is due, it's the Connecticut Sun. They have never won a championship, but it has been within reach for them the last few years. They lost in the 2019 finals and have lost in the semi-finals the past two seasons. This season, 2021 league MVP Jonquel Jones returns hungry to lead the team to its first championship. They also bring back forward Alyssa Thomas, who missed last season due to injury, and Courtney Williams who was a big part of their 2019 finals team.
Las Vegas Aces
It's the start of a new era in Las Vegas under head coach Becky Hammon, a six-time WNBA all-star and former assistant coach of the NBAs San Antonio Spurs. When asked about playing under coach Hammon, Dearica Hamby noted that there was more freedom in the team's offense compared to years prior. “Her emphasis is pace, space, shooting threes, so we’re excited about that,” she said. This offensive system is different for the Aces, as they have previously been known as a team that doesn’t shoot many threes. They also bring back six of last years players who averaged double figures in scoring.
Players to watch:
Chennedy Carter: Last season, second-year guard Chennedy Carter was suspended from the Atlanta Dream on July 5 for what the team reported as “conduct detrimental to the team." This season, she makes her comeback on a new team. Of course, it was only right that Carter, who goes by the nickname “Hollywood,” would end up in Los Angeles playing for the Sparks. Carter will be a major driving force for the team this season and she knows it, saying “every night I go to sleep, I know I’ll have a major role on this team, and that I need to bring my sneakers laced no matter what, ‘cause I’m one of the players that for sure will make this team go, and I can change momentum, for sure.” She has also set a goal of topping the league in rebounds and assists this season. Carter, with her indescribable energy and confidence, puts on a show every time she steps on the court, and her comeback this season is one you won’t want to miss. Most notably, she will be matching up against her former team in the following games:
Sparks at Dream: May 11, 7:00 pm ET WNBA League Pass
Dream at Sparks: July 21, 3:30 pm ET NBA TV
Sparks at Dream: August 5, 7:30 pm ET CBS Sports Network
Sylvia Fowles: Sylvia Fowles, one of the best players in league history, will be playing her final season this year. Fowles is the leagues all-time leading rebounder, a seven-time All-Star, four-time Defensive Player of the Year, 2017 MVP, two-time WNBA champion, and four-time Olympic gold medalist. There's few people who can match this resume and the consistent dominance Fowles has displayed throughout her career. Even more special than the talent she brings to the court is the loving nature she has off of it, often being referred to as "Sweet Syl." "Obviously we're losing like a huge figure for the WNBA, but we're also going to be losing like a really, really, really good person," said Aces guard Sydney Colson. Fowles is a true treasure and her final ride is an absolute must watch.
Elena Delle Donne: Delle Donne, a six time all star, two time MVP, and WNBA champion, is one of the best in the game. However, she has missed almost two seasons after having two back surgeries. At this time there was fear of her not being able to compete again, but now Delle Donne has said she feels phenomenal and is eager to suit up once again for the Washington Mystics. In a Mystics preseason game, she had an impressive 21 points and 4 rebounds. There will be some management of her playing time throughout the season, but having her back on the court at all is a huge boost for the team who she helped lead to a championship in 2019.
A'ja Wilson: Forward for the Las Vegas Aces, 2020 league MVP
Kahleah Copper: Guard/forward for the Chicago Sky, 2021 Finals MVP
Breanna Stewart: Forward for the Seattle Storm, 2018 league MVP
Jonquel Jones: Forward for the Connecticut Sun, 2021 league MVP
Rhyne Howard: Guard for the Atlanta Dream, 2022 number one draft pick
As much as we may want to, watching every game of the season is just not practical for many. Below are some twitter must-follows for you to easily stay in the know all season long!
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