Disney+ to stream Opening Weekend as part of expanded coverage across ESPN & ABC
‘Women’s Sports Sundays’ debuts in Summer 2026, featuring weekly primetime WNBA and NWSL matchups across nine weeks, including historic June 21 New York vs. Los Angeles anniversary game
ESPN and ABC, in conjunction with the WNBA, today unveiled the 2026 WNBA regular season presented by Google Pixel schedule. ESPN, which has televised the WNBA since the league’s inaugural season in 1997, will tip off its 30th consecutive season on Saturday, May 9, with expanded coverage across ESPN, ABC, Disney+ and ESPN Deportes.
The 2026 schedule features a 30-game slate across ESPN, showcasing the league’s top teams, biggest stars and emerging talent throughout the WNBA’s landmark 30th season, which ESPN will highlight throughout the year.
The 2026 season marks the start of a new 11-year media rights agreement between The Walt Disney Company, ESPN and the WNBA, extending through 2036 and reinforcing ESPN’s role as a primary home for the league’s regular season, playoffs and Finals.
During the 2026 season, ESPN will collaborate with the WNBA to present up to 30 games, including the AT&T WNBA All-Star Game. Coverage begins with the WNBA regular season presented by Google Pixel and continues through the WNBA Playoffs presented by Google Pixel, which will feature up to 11 games. ESPN Deportes will provide Spanish-language coverage throughout the season.
“For nearly 30 years, ESPN has been the home of the WNBA, and we’re proud to continue as the primary home of the league as it enters its milestone 30th season,” said Rosalyn Durant, EVP, Programming & Acquisitions, ESPN. “Our 2026 regular-season schedule is our most expansive yet, and we look forward to continuing to feature the league’s best matchups in marquee windows across ABC and ESPN, deepening our commitment to elevating the game and bringing its biggest moments to the widest possible audience.”
Star-Studded Opening Weekend Action
ESPN’s regular-season coverage tips off Saturday, May 9, with the WNBA Tip Off Presented by CarMax doubleheader across ABC, ESPN Deportes and Disney+.
In the opener, the Dallas Wings visit the Indiana Fever (1 p.m. ET, ABC, Disney+), showcasing some of the league’s brightest young stars. The matchup features each of the last four No. 1 overall draft picks — Aliyah Boston (2023), Caitlin Clark (2024), Paige Bueckers (2025) and Azzi Fudd (2026). Clark will play in her first game since July 15, while Dallas debuts a new-look core as Fudd, Bueckers and four-time WNBA All-Star Arike Ogunbowale take the court together for the first time. Indiana is led by Clark, Boston and Kelsey Mitchell, who finished third in scoring last season, while Bueckers ranked fifth.
In the second game, the Phoenix Mercury visit the three-time defending champion Las Vegas Aces (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC, Disney+, ESPN Deportes), in a rematch of the 2025 WNBA Finals. The Aces will host their ring ceremony at T-Mobile Arena prior to tipoff, as they begin their pursuit of a fourth title in five years. Las Vegas is led by four-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson, alongside four-time All-Star Jackie Young and six-time All-Star Chelsea Gray, and already stands as just the second team in league history to win three titles in a four-season span (joining Houston, which won four straight from 1997–2000). Phoenix is led by six-time All-Star Alyssa Thomas — the WNBA’s all-time leader in triple-doubles and single-season record holder (8 in 2025) — along with four-time All-Star Kahleah Copper and DeWanna Bonner, who rejoined the Mercury during the 2025 season.
WNBA On ABC Opening Weekend Schedule
| Date | Time (ET) | Away | Home | Where To Watch |
| Sat., May 9 | 12:30 p.m. | WNBA Countdown presented by Google Pixel | ABC | |
| 1 p.m. | Dallas Wings | Indiana Fever | ABC, Disney+ | |
| 3 p.m. | WNBA Countdown presented by Google Pixel | ABC | ||
| 3:30 p.m. | Phoenix Mercury | Las Vegas Aces | ABC, Disney+ | |
New in 2026
- Expanded 30-Game Schedule: ESPN will present a 30-game regular-season schedule across ABC and ESPN platforms, its most extensive WNBA slate to date, as part of the league’s 30th anniversary season, further expanding coverage of the league’s top teams and stars.
- Women’s Sports Sundays: ESPN will debut Women’s Sports Sundays in Summer 2026, a new weekly primetime franchise spotlighting top-tier WNBA matchups on ESPN presented by Google Pixel and NWSL matchups on ESPN presented by Ally, including New York vs. Los Angeles on June 21 on the anniversary of the league’s inaugural season, featuring the same teams from the first-ever WNBA game.
- The franchise establishes a consistent Sunday night destination for premium women’s sports competition, showcasing the biggest stars, rivalries and moments across nine consecutive weeks and 12 games. Women’s Sports Sundays will be supported by ESPN’s entire best-in-class media ecosystem, including studio programming, storytelling, and digital and social coverage.
- The 2026 AT&T WNBA All-Star Game will take place on Saturday, July 25 at the United Center in Chicago, marking the first time the league’s midseason showcase will take place at the iconic venue. The AT&T WNBA All-Star Game will air on ABC in primetime for the third consecutive year. The 2026 Kia WNBA Skills Challenge and WNBA State Farm 3-Point Contest will air on ESPN.
WNBA Countdown presented by Google Pixel Returns for Regular Season – Added coverage will be provided by WNBA Countdown presented by Google Pixel, ESPN’s pregame show, which returns for the regular season with at least 24 editions immediately preceding game broadcasts – up from 14 the previous season.
Additional highlights – The 2026 WNBA on ESPN presented by Google Pixel schedule will feature extensive coverage, with blockbuster matchups throughout the season.
- Blockbuster appearances: Indiana, led by Clark and Boston, will appear a league-high 10 times across ABC and ESPN. New York follows with eight appearances, while Las Vegas will be featured five times. Chicago and Minnesota will each make four appearances across ESPN platforms.
- Playoff rematches renew rivalries: Five games will revisit matchups from the 2025 WNBA Playoffs, including Phoenix vs. Las Vegas (May 9, Finals rematch), Indiana vs. Atlanta (June 20 and Aug. 16, First Round rematches), Indiana vs. Las Vegas (July 5, Semifinals rematch), and New York vs. Phoenix (Aug. 1, First Round rematch), bringing postseason intensity into the regular season.
- New era in Dallas: Dallas will be featured in multiple national windows as No. 1 overall pick Azzi Fudd joins 2025 Kia WNBA Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers. Highlights include opening weekend at Indiana (May 9) and a primetime matchup at New York (July 7).
- Atlanta’s reimagined roster in the spotlight: The Atlanta Dream enter 2026 highlighted by the addition of two-time WNBA All-Star Angel Reese, who joins All-Stars Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray. Atlanta will be featured in key matchups, including Reese’s first game against her former team, the Chicago Sky (June 9, ESPN), and multiple contests against Indiana.
- Contender clashes headline the schedule: A marquee matchup between New York and Minnesota (July 11, ABC) features two of the league’s top contenders, while Indiana meets Las Vegas (July 5, ESPN) in a semifinal rematch between star-powered squads.
- Expansion teams showcased across platforms: The Golden State Valkyries, coming off a historic playoff appearance in just their second season, will make a key ABC appearance on June 6 against Las Vegas (3 p.m. ET). Debut franchises will also be featured, including the Toronto Tempo, led by two-time WNBA champion coach Sandy Brondello, hosting Indiana on Aug. 18 (ESPN), and the Portland Fire, returning for the first time in more than two decades, facing Phoenix on Aug. 16 (ESPN).
Below is the complete ESPN and ABC regular-season schedule. A link to the full WNBA schedule can be located here.
2026 WNBA Regular-Season Schedule Across ESPN & ABC
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup | Where to Watch |
| Sat., May 9 | 1 p.m. | Dallas Wings vs. Indiana Fever | ABC, Disney+ |
| Sat., May 9 | 3:30 p.m. | Phoenix Mercury vs. Las Vegas Aces | ABC, Disney+ |
| Sat., June 6 | 1 p.m. | Seattle Storm vs. Minnesota Lynx | ABC |
| Sat., June 6 | 3 p.m. | Golden State Valkyries vs. Las Vegas Aces | ABC |
| Tue., June 9 | 7 p.m. | Atlanta Dream vs. Chicago Sky | ESPN |
| Sat., June 20 | 1 p.m. | Indiana Fever vs. Atlanta Dream | ABC |
| Sat., June 20 | 3 p.m. | Seattle Storm vs. Phoenix Mercury | ABC |
| Sun., June 21 | 8 p.m. | New York Liberty vs. Los Angeles Sparks | ESPN |
| Sun., June 28 | 7 p.m. | New York Liberty vs. Golden State Valkyries | ESPN |
| Sun., July 5 | 7 p.m. | Indiana Fever vs. Las Vegas Aces | ESPN |
| Tue., July 7 | 8 p.m. | Dallas Wings vs. New York Liberty | ESPN |
| Sat., July 11 | 1 p.m. | New York Liberty vs. Minnesota Lynx | ABC |
| Sun., July 12 | 7 p.m. | Chicago Sky vs. Dallas Wings | ESPN |
| Sun., July 19 | 1 p.m. | Los Angeles Sparks vs. Dallas Wings | ABC |
| Sun., July 19 | 7 p.m. | Connecticut Sun vs. Phoenix Mercury | ESPN |
| Tue., July 28 | 9:30 p.m. | Indiana Fever vs. Seattle Storm | ESPN |
| Sat., Aug. 1 | 3 p.m. | New York Liberty vs. Phoenix Mercury | ABC |
| Sun., Aug. 2 | 1 p.m. | Indiana Fever vs. Minnesota Lynx | ABC |
| Sun., Aug. 2 | 7 p.m. | Connecticut Sun vs. Dallas Wings | ESPN |
| Sat., Aug. 8 | 3:30 p.m. | Indiana Fever vs. Chicago Sky | ABC |
| Sun., Aug. 9 | 12:30 p.m. | Las Vegas Aces vs. New York Liberty | ABC |
| Sun., Aug. 9 | 7 p.m. | Golden State Valkyries vs. Los Angeles Sparks | ESPN |
| Tue., Aug. 11 | 7:30 p.m. | New York Liberty vs. Indiana Fever | ESPN |
| Sun., Aug. 16 | 5 p.m. | Indiana Fever vs. Atlanta Dream | ESPN |
| Sun., Aug. 16 | 7 p.m. | Portland Fire vs. Phoenix Mercury | ESPN |
| Tue., Aug. 18 | 7 p.m. | Indiana Fever vs. Toronto Tempo | ESPN |
| Tue., Aug. 18 | 9 p.m. | New York Liberty vs. Chicago Sky | ESPN |
| Tue., Sept. 22 | 8 p.m. | Minnesota Lynx vs. Indiana Fever | ESPN |
| Tue., Sept. 22 | 10 p.m. | Los Angeles Sparks vs. Las Vegas Aces | ESPN |
*All games are available to stream on the ESPN App via direct-to-consumer or Pay TV authentication.
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