The 30th WNBA season is finally upon us. 210 days after the Las Vegas Aces hoisted the 2025 championship trophy, the 2026 campaign opens with WNBA Tip-Off presented by CarMax.

Beginning Friday, May 8, seven nationally broadcast games will celebrate the start of the season, including the debuts of the league’s two newest franchises — the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire. The slate also features a Finals rematch, a contest featuring the four most recent No. 1 draft picks, and much more.

We’ll dive into each matchup below, so all that’s left is to get the popcorn ready for a new season of WNBA hoops.

Friday, May 8

Connecticut Sun at New York Liberty (7:30 p.m. ET, ION)

New York opens the season as a favorite to reach the WNBA Finals for the third time in four years (and seventh time overall). According to the league’s general managers, who voted Aces vs. Liberty as the most likely Finals matchup.

The Liberty return the core of their 2024 title squad by re-signing Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones, and Sabrina Ionescu, the latter of whom will be sidelined for this season-opening matchup after suffering an ankle injury during the preseason. New York also added two-time All-Star Satou Sabally in free agency and has Betnijah Laney-Hamilton returning after missing the 2025 season with a knee injury.

The Liberty’s stacked roster will host a Connecticut squad set to open its “Sunset Season” before the franchise relocates in 2027. While much of Connecticut’s roster is young, the Sun signed former champion and 10-time All-Star Brittney Griner, who will make her Sun debut on Friday.

Washington Mystics at Toronto Tempo (7:30 p.m. ET, ION)

In the first of two expansion debuts to take place during WNBA Tip-Off presented by CarMax, the Toronto Tempo will host the Washington Mystics in their inaugural game.

This game offers the first regular-season look at the Tempo roster, which was built over a whirlwind five weeks through the expansion draft, college draft, and free agency. It also introduces a new WNBA city, ready to build its own identity and traditions.

The Mystics were voted third among teams with the most promising young core by the league’s GMs. Led by last year’s pair of rookie All-Stars — Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen — the Mystics’ roster is loaded with rookies and sophomores and features only two players with at least four years of experience. This matchup in Toronto will be an early opportunity to help this young group grow together.

Golden State Valkyries at Seattle Storm (10 p.m. ET, ION)

After an inaugural season like no other in league history — Golden State became the first expansion team to make the WNBA playoffs — the Valkyries open their sophomore season on the road against the new-look Seattle Storm.

Gabby Williams, Golden State’s marquee offseason addition, will make her Valkyries debut and her return to Seattle — where she played from 2022-25 — on the same night. Williams dominated the GM voting as the best perimeter defender in the league, earning 60% of the vote. She joins an already top-flight defense, making the Valkyries even more dangerous.

In Seattle, the Storm tied with Dallas for the GM vote on the most promising young core. That includes rookies Awa Fam (No. 3 overall) and Flau'jae Johnson (No. 8) as well as last year's No. 2 pick Dominique Malonga, who tied for the most votes to have a breakout season in 2026.

Saturday, May 9

Dallas Wings at Indiana Fever (1 p.m. ET, ABC)

Saturday’s ABC doubleheader begins with a star-studded clash between the Wings and Fever, with the last four No. 1 overall picks sharing the court – Indiana’s Aliyah Boston (2023) and Caitlin Clark (2024) vs. Dallas’ Paige Bueckers (2025) and Azzi Fudd (2026).

This marks the first regular-season appearance for Clark since July 15, as her sophomore season was limited to 13 games due to injury. Clark’s return, alongside Boston and All-WNBA First Team selection Kelsey Mitchell, gives the Fever a “Big Three” that can match up with any trio in the league.

This game also features the WNBA debut of sharpshooter Fudd, who became the seventh UConn player selected with the top pick in the draft. Fudd reunites with former college teammate Bueckers, who is coming off one of the most impressive rookie seasons in WNBA history. That backcourt duo, alongside Arike Ogunbowale, plus the addition of reigning co-Defensive Player of the Year Alanna Smith, helped Dallas earn 67% of the GM’s vote as the most improved team entering 2026.

Phoenix Mercury at Las Vegas Aces (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC)

The Las Vegas Aces open their title defense with a 2025 Finals rematch against the Phoenix Mercury, which ended in an Aces sweep last October.

Coming off their third title in the last four seasons, the Aces return their championship core as they look to run it back. The league GMs named the Aces the favorites to repeat as champions and superstar A’ja Wilson as the favorite to win a fifth league MVP. The Aces swept the vote for best point guard (Chelsea Gray), best shooting guard (Jackie Young), best forward (Wilson), and best center (Wilson). 

Meanwhile, the Mercury will look to return to the Finals with the returns of Alyssa Thomas, DeWanna Bonner, and Kahleah Copper. However, Phoenix did lose All-Star Satou Sabally in free agency. This game gives Phoenix an early test against the defending champions and a chance to snap a seven-game losing streak to Las Vegas – the four Finals games, plus the last three regular-season meetings of 2025.

Chicago Sky at Portland Fire (9 p.m. ET, NBA TV)

For the first time since Aug. 11, 2002, a regular-season WNBA game will be played in the Rose City as the Portland Fire reignites after a three-season run from 2000-02.

Nearly 24 years later, WNBA hoops officially returns to Portland as the Fire welcome the Sky for their season opener. Similar to the Tempo, this game provides the first regular-season look at the Fire’s roster and game-day atmosphere. Similar to Golden State’s “Ballhalla” nickname for their home court at Chase Center, Portland has dubbed its Moda Center home “The Fire Pit.”

The new-look Sky will be the first team to enter The Fire Pit after a busy offseason featuring the additions of Skylar Diggins, DiJonai Carrington, Azurá Stevens, Rickea Jackson, and No. 5 draft pick Gabriela Jaquez, following the departures of Angel Reese and Ariel Atkins.

Sunday, May 10

Las Vegas Aces at Los Angeles Sparks (6 p.m. ET, USA)

Rounding out the opening weekend’s nationally broadcast slate is a matchup of two franchises with three WNBA titles apiece — the Las Vegas Aces (2022, 2024, 2025) and Los Angeles Sparks (2001, 2002, 2016).

This is also a clash between two of only four active players to have won league MVP honors — Las Vegas’ four-time winner A’ja Wilson (2020, 2022, 2024-25) and Los Angeles’ Nneka Ogwumike (2016), who returns to the Sparks after playing the last two seasons in Seattle. L.A. also added defensive stalwart Ariel Atkins from Chicago this offseason.

While the Aces tip off their title defense on Saturday, this marks the season opener for the Sparks. It also features two former Aces — Kelsey Plum and Dearica Hamby — facing their former squad after going 1-3 against them last season. Can the new-look Sparks make an early statement by knocking off the defending champs?