Set your calendars, hoops fans! The 21st rendition of WNBA basketball will tip off on May 13th! (and as we write this, you can be assured, all of our calendars have been marked in bold permanent marker).
Three games will take place on that Saturday May 13 with all happening right after each other. The San Antonio Stars will face the New York Liberty at Madison Square Garden at 3 p.m. eastern. After that, Breanna Stewart begins her sophomore season in the league as the Seattle Storm travel to Los Angeles vs. the defending champion Sparks.
The final game of the day will be in Connecticut featuring the Sun and the visiting Atlanta Dream.
As if that wasn’t enough—how about four more games the following day? Sounds good? Sounds good. A short Acela ride from Penn Station to Union Station separates NYC from D.C.—which is where the Stars will be the following day to play the Washington Mystics.
The Phoenix Mercury—once again coming off elimination in the semifinals of last season’s postseason, open the season at home against the Dallas Wings. The Indiana Fever, in its first season sans the now retired Tamika Catchings (and also its first season under new head coach Pokey Chatman), will be on the road to open the season at Key Arena against the Storm and the Chicago Sky will be in Minnesota to play the Lynx—who will play the 2017 season at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
Even after the season tips off, the two participants in this past year’s Finals—the Minnesota Lynx and Los Angeles Sparks—won’t meet this season until mid-July. That is the first of three matchups between Minnesota and LA. The first of which will be in Minnesota and televised over ESPN2 at 8:00 p.m. The second of the two games will be on August 11th also in Minnesota and on August 27th, the two teams head west to LA to play at Staples Center.
Speaking of Catchings, her jersey will be raised to the rafters on June 24 when the Sparks visit the Fever in Indiana.
Interestingly enough, no exact date has been set for when the WNBA’s All-Star weekend will be. There was no All-Star Game this past year due to the Olympics, but there was this tweet…
Other highlights include first rematch of @WNBA Finals on July 6. All-Star weekend based on schedule should be weekend of July 23
— Doug Feinberg (@DougFeinberg) November 29, 2016
Of course, much of this anticipation also comes with the added caveat of additional exposure to whichever team lands a game-changing rookie in the WNBA Draft, which will create even more buzz to the league when May 13 arrives. The Stars, with the first pick in the Draft, are on the clock.
In addition, ESPN/ESPN2 will air nine matchups for the league’s regular season—including on June 6 from Los Angeles when the Chicago Sky, led by Elena Delle Donne, face the Sparks, August 10 featuring the Phoenix Mercury and the Dallas Wings, and August 24 with the the Sparks vs. Mercury in Arizona. June 30 will be when the Mercury renew its rivalry against the Lynx when the two teams match up in Phoenix.
Six of the nine ESPN/ESPN2 regular season telecasts are on Thursdays. League Pass and NBA TV will pick up much of the slack for the rest of the season. ESPN/ESPN2 will also broadcast the entire slate of playoff games.
Not to mention…a few teams have come up with some rather creative ways to promote the upcoming season…
Our 20th season ? is here! We’re feeling nostalgic, so here's a 90's playlist for the home schedule! #tbt
?? >> https://t.co/KQGiXNA2Y6 pic.twitter.com/yLqFJcH5ai
— Washington Mystics (@WashMystics) December 1, 2016
How bout it @DWingsHoops? We’re 21 now so things might get cray cray. pic.twitter.com/k1LeixElcM
— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) November 29, 2016
Thanks for the invite @PhoenixMercury. See you then ? pic.twitter.com/33ZkTxUNks
— Dallas Wings (@DWingsHoops) November 29, 2016
Is it May 13th yet?
By: Akiem Bailum (@AkiemBailum on Twitter, Instagram)
