play0:22Sabrina Ionescu limps off after awkward landingSabrina Ionescu limps off after awkward landing
play1:14Caitlin Clark helps Fever steam past NigeriaCaitlin Clark scores 12 points to help Indiana cruise to a 105-57 win over Nigeria in her third game back.
play0:15Nneka Ogwumike nails it from behind the arcNneka Ogwumike nails it from behind the arc, 05/03/2026
play1:04Dallas Wings vs. Las Vegas Aces – Game HighlightsWatch the Game Highlights from Dallas Wings vs. Las Vegas Aces, 05/03/2026
play1:09Phoenix Mercury vs. Japan – Game HighlightsWatch the Game Highlights from Phoenix Mercury vs. Japan, 04/29/2026
play1:09Minnesota Lynx vs. Toronto Tempo – Game HighlightsWatch the Game Highlights from Minnesota Lynx vs. Toronto Tempo, 05/01/2026
play1:08Atlanta Dream vs. Washington Mystics – Game HighlightsWatch the Game Highlights from Atlanta Dream vs. Washington Mystics, 05/03/2026
play1:06Connecticut Sun vs. New York Liberty – Game HighlightsWatch the Game Highlights from Connecticut Sun vs. New York Liberty, 05/03/2026
play1:07Seattle Storm vs. Fire – Game HighlightsWatch the Game Highlights from Seattle Storm vs. Fire, 04/29/2026
Caitlin Clark helps Fever steam past NigeriaCaitlin Clark scores 12 points to help Indiana cruise to a 105-57 win over Nigeria in her third game back.
Caitlin Clark scores 12 points to help Indiana cruise to a 105-57 win over Nigeria in her third game back.
Dallas Wings vs. Las Vegas Aces – Game HighlightsWatch the Game Highlights from Dallas Wings vs. Las Vegas Aces, 05/03/2026
Phoenix Mercury vs. Japan – Game HighlightsWatch the Game Highlights from Phoenix Mercury vs. Japan, 04/29/2026
Minnesota Lynx vs. Toronto Tempo – Game HighlightsWatch the Game Highlights from Minnesota Lynx vs. Toronto Tempo, 05/01/2026
Atlanta Dream vs. Washington Mystics – Game HighlightsWatch the Game Highlights from Atlanta Dream vs. Washington Mystics, 05/03/2026
Connecticut Sun vs. New York Liberty – Game HighlightsWatch the Game Highlights from Connecticut Sun vs. New York Liberty, 05/03/2026
Seattle Storm vs. Fire – Game HighlightsWatch the Game Highlights from Seattle Storm vs. Fire, 04/29/2026
play0:17A’ja Wilson gets the huge block for the AcesA’ja Wilson gets the huge block for the Aces
play0:14Angel Reese muscles in layup on Atlanta debutAngel Reese muscles in layup on Atlanta debut
play1:17Wednesday’s best plays from the WNBATake a look at Wednesday’s best plays from the WNBA.
Michael VoepelCloseMichael VoepelESPN Senior WriterMichael Voepel is a senior writer who covers the WNBA, women’s college basketball and other college sports. Voepel began covering women’s basketball in 1984, and has been with ESPN since 1996.Follow on X, Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouWomen’s Basketball ReporterCovers women’s college basketball and the WNBA Previously covered UConn and the WNBA Connecticut Sun for the Hartford Courant Stanford graduate and Baltimore native with further experience at the Dallas Morning News, Seattle Times and Cincinnati EnquirerFollow on X, Kendra Andrews, Kareem CopelandMultiple AuthorsMay 4, 2026, 07:45 AM ET
WNBA Top Plays of the Week (1:57)Top Plays of the Week (1:57)
During the most difficult periods of collective bargaining negotiations from October to March, it seemed we might not get here. But on Friday, the WNBA will tip off its 30th season with three games.
On Saturday, the defending champion Las Vegas Aces will celebrate their 2025 title in a doubleheader on ABC as they host the Phoenix Mercury in a WNBA Finals rematch (3:30 p.m. ET). Earlier in the day, the Indiana Fever host the Dallas Wings (1 p.m. ET), a game that features the past four WNBA No. 1 draft picks: Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark of the Fever and Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd of the Wings.
Which teams are expected to dominate this season? Can the Aces win a fourth WNBA title in five years? What kind of seasons should we expect from expansion franchises Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire?
How last season ended: A’ja Wilson was walking around the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix rattling a pink tambourine after hoisting her third championship trophy and second WNBA Finals MVP award. The Aces were the last team standing after a 4-0 sweep of the Mercury to solidify this era of Vegas basketball as one of the all-time great stretches the WNBA has ever seen.
Biggest strength: Elite talent. Wilson is the only player in league history with four MVPs and she’s just 29 years old and firmly in her prime. Jackie Young is a four-time All-Star with two All-WNBA selections at 28 years old. Chelsea Gray is a six-time All-Star, four-time champion, 2022 Finals MVP and three-time All-WNBA. Jewell Loyd is a six-time All-Star, 2023 scoring champion and three-time All-WNBA. That foursome has seven Olympic gold medals among them.
Number to watch: 35. The franchise record for single-season wins is 34 set in 2023, when the Aces won their second title, and second in a row. That’s the mark for the most wins in a single season in league history, tied by the 2025 Minnesota Lynx. Coach Becky Hammon, Wilson and Gray, specifically, are students of the league and know they have a unique opportunity to carve out their place in the record books, including the most wins in league history.
One (realistic) bold prediction: Carter wins Sixth Woman of the Year. Last time we saw the 2020 No. 4 pick she was averaging 17.5 points per game for the Sky in 2024, and finished No. 4 in Most Improved voting. She was the Rookie of the Year runner-up in 2020. If Loyd moves back into the starting lineup, Carter could be the No. 1 offensive option with the second unit. She has averaged fewer than 14.2 points in just one of four WNBA seasons, but has also been out of the league twice.
What does a successful season look like? Anything less than a fourth championship is a disappointment. That’s where this franchise is: titles or bust. — Kareem Copeland
The Aces finished fourth in offensive rating last season, but Loyd’s fantasy ceiling looks capped in Las Vegas. After years as a primary option in Seattle, she averaged just 21.3 fantasy points in 28.3 MPG in 2025, down from 35.7 fantasy points in 33.7 MPG in 2024. With Wilson, Young and Gray commanding usage, Loyd’s upside is limited unless injuries open opportunities. Despite her name recognition, managers might be better off drafting her in the later rounds. — Eric Moody
A’ja Wilson gets the huge block for the AcesA’ja Wilson gets the huge block for the Aces
Number to watch: The average height of the Liberty starters, or, really, their lineups at any given time. They’ve already debuted a lineup featuring the 6-foot Laney-Hamilton, 6-4 Stewart, 6-6 Jones and the 6-11 Xu. And they can still throw in Fiebich and Sabally, both of whom are 6-4.
One (realistic) bold prediction: Stewart picks up where she left off at Unrivaled and, finally healthy after her 2025 campaign, has an MVP-level season for the Liberty.
What does a successful season look like? The Liberty have looked to temper expectations for the beginning of the summer as players get incorporated into the fold and as the team acclimates to DeMarco’s system. But the long-term expectation in New York remains what it has been since 2023: winning WNBA championships. — Alexa Philippou
The Liberty have been led by three megastars for the past three seasons, after former MVPs Stewart and Jones joined Ionescu to form a championship core. But this offseason they were joined by Sabally, who ranked No. 17 in fantasy points per game last season. Stewart (seventh), Ionescu (eighth) and Jones (19th) were also in the top 20. Can one Liberty team support four top-20 fantasy producers? — Andre Snellings
Sabrina Ionescu limps off after awkward landingSabrina Ionescu limps off after awkward landing
How last season ended: After a franchise-record 30 wins in the regular season and a tie for second place, the No. 3 seed Dream fell 2-1 to No. 6 seed Indiana in the first round of the playoffs. Guard Allisha Gray had the best of her nine WNBA seasons with career-high averages of 18.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists.
Biggest strength: The Dream excel at not wasting possessions. They averaged the fewest turnovers in the league last season (11.2) and ranked third in offensive rebounds per game (8.9). They’ve kept and added personnel who will help maintain those stats.
Biggest concern: How long will forward Brionna Jones be out? She was the only Dream player to start every regular-season and playoff game last year. Jones, Gray, Rhyne Howard and Jordin Canada are the returning starters, but the Dream announced on April 20 that Jones would be out indefinitely after having knee surgery. Jones averaged 12.8 PPG and 7.3 RPG last season.
Number to watch: The Dream’s 3-point percentage. Last season, they tied for second in 3-pointers per game (9.6) and were second in 3s attempted per game (28.4). But they were tied for seventh in shooting percentage from behind the arc (33.7). That was still good enough to help Atlanta average 84.4 PPG, tied for fourth. But a little higher shooting percentage could help the Dream be even more difficult to beat.
One (realistic) bold prediction: Howard, who has shot 33.6% from behind the arc over her four seasons in the WNBA, will have her best 3-point percentage this season. She led the Dream with 102 treys last year but shot just 32.2% from long range.
What does a successful season look like? The Dream have the talent to make a run at the WNBA Finals. But it would be a success to make it to the semifinals, which Atlanta has not done since 2018, when the Dream lost 3-2 to Washington. — Michael Voepel
Angel Reese muscles in layup on Atlanta debutAngel Reese muscles in layup on Atlanta debut
How last season ended: Devastated by injury, the Fever still pushed the eventual champion Aces to overtime of Game 5 in the WNBA semifinals. They might have advanced to the Finals if first-team All-WNBA guard Kelsey Mitchell hadn’t left the game late with numbness in her legs. Indiana was the league’s feel-good story as it kept winning while Caitlin Clark, Sophie Cunningham and others were lost to injuries.