The 2023 WNBA regular season will run from May 19 to Sept. 10, with a record 40 games per team, the league announced Wednesday.
The opening weekend consists of four games in the opening game, one Friday: The Washington Mystics host the New York Liberty, the Connecticut Sun travel to the Indiana Fever and the Minnesota Lynx take on the 2021 champions in Minneapolis The Chicago Sky and the Phoenix Mercury will host the Los Angeles Sparks on the road.
The defending WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces begin their season on Saturday, May 20, in Seattle against the Seattle Storm in a rematch of this fall’s dramatic semifinal series, while the Atlanta Dream and Dallas Wings The teams will also face off in Dallas that night. The first weekend of play ends on Sunday with the Suns hosting the Mystics, the Heat traveling to New York and the Sky taking on the Mercury in Phoenix.
The league will host the 19th All-Star Game on July 15, and the specific location has not yet been announced. The 2023 season will also host the third year of the Commissioner’s Cup, an in-season competition that will run from May 19 to July 12. The championship game will be held on August 15th.
Among other interesting matchups: The Aces and Sun are a rematch for the 2022 Finals, with a three-game series starting June 6-8 in Connecticut.
The 40 regular season games — 20 on the road and 20 at home — are four more than in 2022 and eight more than in 2021. The league will announce its TV and streaming schedule at a later date.
Five teams have new coaches entering free agency: Suns (Stephanie White replaces Curt Miller); Wings (Latricia Trammel replaces Vickie Johnson); Fever (Christie Sides replaces Marianne Stanley/Carlos Knox); Mystics (Eric Thibault replacing Mike Thibault); and the Sparks (Miller replacing Derek Fisher/Fred Williams).
One of the most anticipated free-agent periods in league history begins early next year, with free-agent negotiations allowed to begin Jan. 21 and signings set to begin Feb. 1.
The 2023 WNBA Draft is scheduled for April 10, 2023, and the Heat have the No. 1 pick.
