WNBA groups will play a file 44 video games through the 2025 common season, which begins with a Friday, Could 16 slate that features the Golden State Valkyries’ dwelling debut.
The league launched the total schedule Monday. The extra 4 video games (up from 40 in 2024) come on account of the Valkyries coming into the WNBA as its thirteenth crew.
“We sit up for tipping off the WNBA’s twenty ninth season in Could of 2025 and persevering with to construct on the success of final season, when the WNBA delivered its most-watched Draft and All-Star Recreation, and set information for viewership, attendance, digital consumption and merchandise gross sales,” WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert mentioned in a press release.
Along with the Valkyries’ first recreation, the opening weekend of the season options the Indiana Fever internet hosting the Chicago Sky, the New York Liberty internet hosting the Las Vegas Aces and the Minnesota Lynx internet hosting the Dallas Wings.
The Fever will host the All-Star Recreation for the primary time in franchise historical past on July 19.
The common season will conclude Sept. 11.
2025 opening weekend highlights
Atlanta vs. Washington — Could 16, 7:30 p.m. ET
Minnesota vs. Dallas — Could 16, 7:30 p.m. ET
Golden State vs. Los Angeles – Could 16, 10 p.m. ET
Indiana vs. Chicago — Could 17, 1 p.m. ET
New York vs. Las Vegas — Could 17, 3 p.m. ET
Seattle vs. Phoenix — Could 17, 10 p.m. ET
Washington vs. Connecticut — Could 18, 1 p.m. ET
Schedule highlights
Chicago vs. Indiana (June 7) — This would be the second of 5 conferences between the Fever and Sky this season. Final season, Indiana’s Caitlin Clark and Chicago’s Angel Reese completed 1-2 in Rookie of the Yr voting, with the Fever defeating the Sky in three of their 4 regular-season video games. Along with their opening weekend matchup and aforementioned recreation on June 7, the 2 groups may also play July 26, Aug. 9 and Sept. 5.
Atlanta vs. Chicago (June 13) — This Commissioner’s Cup recreation between the Dream and Sky will function two of the league’s new head coaches, with former Florida Gulf Coast coach Karl Smesko taking the Atlanta job and former Aces assistant Tyler Marsh now main the Sky.
Indiana vs. Dallas (June 27) — The Fever and Wings will meet 4 instances through the common season with this matchup being the primary. It’s potential the sport will function Clark and Paige Bueckers going through off in opposition to one another for the primary time — that’s, if Bueckers declares and the Wings choose her with the No. 1 choose within the 2025 WNBA Draft.
New York vs. Las Vegas (July 8) — This would be the second of three conferences between the league’s final two WNBA MVPs, the Liberty’s Breanna Stewart and the Aces’ A’ja Wilson. After assembly through the opening weekend and on July 8, the 2 groups will play in Las Vegas on Aug. 13. Final season, the Liberty knocked the Aces out of the WNBA postseason within the semifinals, avenging their finals defeat from 2023. The Liberty and Aces additionally solely performed thrice through the 2024 common season, with two of these video games being in Las Vegas.
Phoenix vs. Minnesota (July 16) — Whether or not Diana Taurasi retires or not stays unsure, however Phoenix can be taking part in host to final 12 months’s finals runner-up Minnesota on July 16, the ultimate day of the season’s first half. The Mercury will play eight of its first 11 video games at dwelling earlier than taking part in 12 of the subsequent 17 on the highway.
Connecticut vs. Washington (Aug. 21) — The Solar and Mystics are two of the three WNBA franchises but to rent a brand new head coach. This would be the final of 4 matchups between the Jap Convention foes. Apparently, earlier within the season, each Connecticut and Washington will play video games away from their regular area. The Solar will host the Fever in Boston’s TD Backyard on July 15, whereas the Mystics will play the Sky in Fairfax, Va. on July 8 of their annual camp day recreation.
Storm vs. Valkyries (Sept. 9) — Seattle closes out its season with a four-game homestand, the final of which can be in opposition to Golden State. The Storm wish to but once more make the postseason for consecutive seasons, whereas that is one in every of Golden State’s closing alternatives to doubtlessly clinch a spot within the playoffs of their first season.
Sparks vs. Aces ( Sept. 11) — The Sparks employed former Utah coach Lynne Roberts this offseason as they appear to return to the playoffs for the primary time since 2020. Los Angeles options an thrilling younger core, led by Cameron Brink, Rickea Jackson and the No. 2 choose within the upcoming draft. Their regular-season finale may function a postseason tune-up in opposition to the Aces, who function Wilson, Chelsea Grey, Jackie Younger and Kelsey Plum.
How the 2025 schedule varies from final 12 months
Gamers and followers will really feel a distinction between the 2 schedules in mid-to-late July. A 12 months in the past, the WNBA condensed its 40-game slate due to the Olympic break and had a greater than three-week stoppage on account of the Paris Video games. The All-Star break will final lower than every week this season, with the second half resuming on July 22.
Different adjustments are extra delicate. Due to the Valkyries, the Commissioner’s Cup will function a further recreation for Western Convention groups. Every of the Western Convention groups will play six video games, up from 5 final season, whereas these within the Jap Convention will nonetheless play 5. Moreover, due to the added video games, the Fever and Sky will face off 5 instances, as will the Dream and Solar.
The Commissioner’s Cup will run from June 1-17, with a $500,000 prize pool awarded to the winner. The title recreation can be performed on Tuesday, July 1, hosted by the crew with one of the best successful proportion in Cup play.
The playoffs may also function a revised format, as the primary spherical will embody a 1-1-1 setup for the best-of-three collection, with the upper seed internet hosting Video games 1 and three, if crucial, and its opponent internet hosting Recreation 2. It’s a change from the present format, which has the best seed internet hosting the primary two video games and its opponent internet hosting Recreation 3 if the collection extends.
The WNBA Finals may also be longer, because the league goes to a best-of-seven format. The finals could have a 2-2-1-1-1 construction wherein the upper seed will host Video games 1, 2, 5 and seven, and its opponent will host Video games 3, 4 and 6.
Required studying
(Picture: tktk)
