WNBA Announces 2026 Season Tip-Off Date, Schedules for Caitlin Clark vs. Angel Reese, More
The 2026 WNBA season is fewer than four months away.
The WNBA revealed its 2026 schedule on Wednesday and revealed the new season will start on Friday, May 8 and run through Thursday, Sept. 24. The upcoming campaign is a notable one for a number of reasons as the WNBA's 30th and the one that will introduce the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo as two new teams.
Attention, of course, always turns toward Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever, and the headline guard will open her new season against Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Stars on May 9.
Indiana will also face Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky on June 11, Aug. 8 and Aug. 23:
The WNBA and the players' union are yet to agree on a new collective bargaining agreement, so this schedule and the season as a whole is all contingent on some type of agreement before play is set to start in May.
"As we prepare to tip off the WNBA's historic 30th season, this schedule reflects both how far the league has come and the momentum that continues to drive us forward," WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said.
"From welcoming two new organizations in Toronto and Portland, to honoring our history with marquee matchups that connect the league's first game to today's stars, the 2026 season will celebrate the WNBA's past, present, and future. With a record number of games, growing global reach, and unprecedented momentum, this milestone season will help define the next chapter of the WNBA."
The league's two new teams had some fun with their schedule releases:
Each team will play 44 games with 22 coming at home and 22 coming on the road.
Fittingly, the Los Angeles Sparks will host the New York Liberty on June 21, which is the anniversary of the league's inaugural game in 1997. There will also be a break for the World Cup that lasts from Aug. 31 through Sept. 16.
Indiana and the new squads are far from the only teams that will be under the spotlight this season.
The reigning champion Las Vegas Aces have captured three of the last four titles and will look to defend their crown. They will host the Phoenix Mercury to start their season on May 9 in a rematch of the 2025 WNBA Finals.
Las Vegas also faces Phoenix on June 17, July 11 and in its season finale on Sept. 24.
All eyes will surely be on those games as both teams look to return to the WNBA Finals.
