ESPN will tip off its coverage of the 2026 WNBA season, the league’s 30th anniversary season, on Saturday with a star-studded doubleheader on ABC and Disney+.
The opening game will feature each of the past four No. 1 WNBA draft picks. Former UConn teammates Azzi Fudd (2026) and Paige Bueckers (2025) will lead the Dallas Wings against Caitlin Clark (2024), Aliyah Boston (2023) and the Indiana Fever.
In the second game, six-time All-Star Alyssa Thomas and the Phoenix Mercury will take on four-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson and the defending champion Las Vegas Aces in a rematch of the 2025 WNBA Finals. The Aces will receive their championship rings and hang their championship banner prior to tipoff.
Here are key facts about ESPN’s coverage of the start of the 2026 WNBA season:
What is the schedule?
*All times Eastern
May 9
12:30 p.m.: “WNBA Countdown” presented by Google Pixel on ABC
1 p.m.: Dallas Wings at Indiana Fever on ABC and Disney+
3 p.m.: “WNBA Countdown” presented by Google Pixel on ABC
3:30 p.m.: Phoenix Mercury at Las Vegas Aces on ABC and Disney+
How can fans watch?
Fans can catch all of the action in the ESPN App and in the WNBA streaming hub.
More on ESPN’s coverage of the 2026 WNBA season
ESPN will air 30 regular-season games across its family of networks and digital platforms during the 2026 WNBA season, the league’s 30th anniversary campaign.
This summer, ESPN will debut “Women’s Sports Sundays,” a new weekly primetime franchise highlighting marquee NWSL and WNBA matchups, including a June 21 showdown between the New York Liberty and Los Angeles Sparks, the same teams that played in the first-ever WNBA game on June 21, 1997.
The AT&T WNBA All-Star Game will air on ABC on July 25. The 2026 Kia WNBA Skills Challenge and WNBA State Farm 3-Point Contest will air on ESPN.
How can fans access more WNBA coverage from ESPN?
Check out the ESPN WNBA hub page for the latest news, analysis, schedules and more.
