The 2025 WNBA season tips off on Friday, May 16th, with a star-studded weekend. The Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark will square off against Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky in a highly anticipated rematch, while the league welcomes the Golden State Valkyries, who will host the Los Angeles Sparks on opening night.
Other intriguing matchups include the defending champion New York Liberty hosting the Las Vegas Aces on Saturday, in a rematch of the 2023 WNBA Finals, which the Aces took home. However, Liberty got their revenge during this year’s playoffs, eliminating the Aces in the second round.
This season, all WNBA teams will play a 44-game schedule, an increase from 40 games in 2024. The Fever will benefit from a more balanced schedule, featuring a five-game homestand in July, three West Coast road trips, and their first matchup against the Valkyries on June 19th.
Indiana and Chicago will clash five times this season, with the Fever hosting three of those games (May 17th, August 9th, and September 5th). The Sky will host the Commissioner’s Cup game on June 7th and a regular-season game on July 26th.
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The Fever will embark on an East Coast road trip, facing the Connecticut Sun on July 15th and the New York Liberty on the 16th. They will then host All-Star Weekend from July 17th to 19th. Post-All-Star, the Fever will return to New York on the 22nd, host the Las Vegas Aces on the 24th, and conclude the trip in Chicago on the 26th.
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The WNBA’s growing popularity
The WNBA is capitalizing on its surging popularity by moving select games to larger arenas and even different cities. The Connecticut Sun will once again host a game at TD Garden in Boston on July 15th, where they set a franchise attendance record of 19,156 last year.
Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese shoots the ball during the game against Los Angeles Sparks (IMAGO / Sports Press Photo)
The Washington Mystics broke the WNBA attendance record with a crowd of 20,711 at Capital One Arena for their regular-season finale. The Las Vegas Aces, who have sold out their season tickets for two consecutive years, will host their final three home games at T-Mobile Arena on the Las Vegas Strip to accommodate the increased demand.
Other important dates: Draft and WNBA All-Star game
The Golden State Valkyries, the WNBA’s newest team, will select their inaugural roster in the expansion draft on Friday, January 11th, airing on ESPN at 6:30 PM ET. The Valkyries will have the fifth overall pick in the 2025 draft. Free agency will also play a significant role in shaping rosters for the upcoming season. Teams can begin negotiating with free agents on January 21st and officially sign players on February 1st.
The WNBA All-Star Game will make its debut in Indianapolis at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on July 19th, hosted by the Indiana Fever. The All-Star break will run from July 17th to 21st.
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WNBA News: USC star JuJu Watkins opens up about Caitlin Clark's comparisons
The Commissioner’s Cup competition will take place from June 1st to 17th. Teams will play against their conference opponents, with Eastern Conference teams playing five games and Western Conference teams playing six. The top teams from each conference will face off in the Commissioner’s Cup game on Tuesday, July 1st, hosted by the team with the best winning percentage during the Cup period.
