NEW YORK, Feb. 8, 2018 – The WNBA will tip off its 22nd season Friday, May 18, and feature eight games on opening weekend. The highlight of WNBA Tip-Off 2018 presented by Verizon is #WNBAAllDay on Sunday, May 20, when all 12 teams will be in action. The complete 2018 schedule is available at http://www.wnba.com/schedule/.
In the opener of the new season, 2017 WNBA All-Stars Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner lead the Phoenix Mercury in a home game against the Dallas Wings on May 18 at 10 p.m. ET. The next day, All-Stars Allie Quigley and Stefanie Dolson and the Chicago Sky visit the Indiana Fever at 1 p.m. ET.
#WNBAAllDay’s six-game schedule on May 20 is highlighted by a Finals rematch between the 2017 WNBA champion Minnesota Lynx and the 2016 champion Los Angeles Sparks at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN2. The matchup in Minnesota marks the start of ESPN2’s season-long WNBA coverage. The Lynx and Sparks have met in the last two Finals, with both series concluding in dramatic Game 5s.
Also on #WNBAAllDay, the Las Vegas Aces make their debut when they visit the Connecticut Sun at 1 p.m. ET. The other 1 p.m. tip-off has 2015 MVP Elena Delle Donne and the Washington Mystics hosting the Fever, while the Atlanta Dream visits the Wings at 3 p.m. ET.
In the final two games of #WNBAAllDay, the Chicago Sky plays its first home game at the new Wintrust Arena in a matchup against 2012 MVP Tina Charles and the New York Liberty (7 p.m. ET), followed by the Mercury visiting the Seattle Storm (9 p.m. ET) as the WNBA’s all-time points leader (Taurasi) faces the career assists leader (Seattle’s Sue Bird).
Throughout the 2018 season, ESPN Networks will air up to 33 games, including 13 regular-season contests, Verizon WNBA All-Star and every game of the postseason. All ESPN telecasts will also stream live on the ESPN app.
A complete list of telecasts, including games to air on NBA TV and games to be streamed live on Twitter, will be announced at a later date.
The 2018 WNBA regular season will run from Friday, May 18 through Sunday, Aug. 19. For information about game tickets, visit WNBA.com/tickets.
Highlights of ESPN2’s 2018 regular-season telecast schedule include:
- All 13 telecasts will feature at least one winner of the WNBA Most Valuable Player Award. MVPs will go head-to-head seven times, including three meetings between Minnesota’s Maya Moore (2014) and Sylvia Fowles (2017) and Los Angeles’ Candace Parker (2008, 2013) and Nneka Ogwumike (2016).
- In other matchups of former MVPs, Moore and Fowles will host Diana Taurasi (2009) and the Mercury on June 1, Charles (2012) and the Liberty on July 24 and Delle Donne (2015) and the Mystics on Aug. 19. Parker, Ogwumike and the Sparks will visit the Taurasi-led Mercury on Aug. 12.
- Eleven games will feature a former No. 1 overall draft pick, with nine head-to-head matchups between top picks.
- The Lynx and Sparks will meet in Minneapolis on May 20 and July 5, and in Los Angeles on Aug. 2.
- Las Vegas will make its ESPN2 debut in a home game against New York on June 22.
- Every ESPN/ESPN2 telecast will include multiple Olympic gold-medal winners.
Below is the WNBA’s schedule for the opening weekend of the 2018 season and additional home openers for teams:
2018 WNBA SCHEDULE: OPENING WEEKEND
Day Date Visitor Home Local Time Eastern Time
Fri. May 18 Dallas Phoenix 7:00 p.m. 10:00 p.m.
Sat. May 19 Chicago Indiana 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m.
Sun. May 20 Las Vegas Connecticut 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m.
Sun. May 20 Indiana Washington 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m.
Sun. May 20 Atlanta Dallas 2:00 p.m. 3:00 p.m.
Sun. May 20 Los Angeles Minnesota 4:00 p.m. 5:00 p.m. (ESPN2)
Sun. May 20 New York Chicago 6:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m.
Sun. May 20 Phoenix Seattle 6:00 p.m. 9:00 p.m.
ADDITIONAL HOME OPENERS FOR 2018
Day Date Visitor Home Local Time Eastern Time
Fri. May 25 Minnesota New York 7:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m.
Sat. May 26 Dallas Atlanta 6:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m.
Sun. May 27 Phoenix Los Angeles 2:00 p.m. 5:00 p.m.
Sun. May 27 Seattle Las Vegas 5:00 p.m. 8:00 p.m.
*Schedule subject to change
About the WNBA
The WNBA – which features 12 teams and is the most successful women’s professional team sports league in the world – is a unique global sports property combining competition, sportsmanship, and entertainment value with its status as an icon for social change, achievement, and diversity. Through WNBA Cares, the WNBA is deeply committed to creating programs that promote a healthy lifestyle and positive body image, support youth and family development, and inspire and empower women. For more information on the WNBA, log on to www.wnba.com.