The start of the 2025 WNBA season is more than five months away, but the league wants to give fans plenty of time to prepare, which is particularly helpful after the explosion of popularity in 2024. The WNBA broke attendance and viewership records, with plenty of attention on Caitlin Clark’s arrival in Indiana, but even more broadly, people showed they want to watch the women’s basketball.
2025 will be all about continuing that growth, both literally and metaphorically. The WNBA will expand to 13 teams with the Golden State Valkyries joining the league for their inaugural season in San Francisco. The Dallas Wings will add the top pick in the 2025 Draft, with the expectation that selection is used to bring in UConn star Paige Bueckers, adding yet another star from the collegiate game that has a massive following. And then there’s the competition at the top of the league, which is as fierce as ever, with the New York Liberty coming off their first title and looking to defend against the likes of the Las Vegas Aces, Minnesota Lynx, Connecticut Sun, and potential other threats.
With that in mind, we wanted to highlight 8 games on the 2025 WNBA schedule that stand out as some of the biggest nights of the year from a national perspective.
Friday, May 16: Los Angeles Sparks at Golden State Valkyries (10:00 p.m. ET)
The first game in Valkyries franchise history will take place on May 16 at the Chase Center, where the brand new roster (which is still yet to be constructed, as the expansion draft is set for Dec. 6) will get its first chance to play together in a WNBA game against the Sparks, which will feature a young core of Cameron Brink, Rickea Jackson, and the No. 2 pick in the 2025 Draft.
Saturday, May 17: Chicago Sky at Indiana Fever (1:00 p.m. ET)
You knew the league wouldn’t wait long to tap back into their new rivalry in the midwest, as Caitlin Clark and the Fever will battle Angel Reese and the Sky in the season opener for both teams. In total, these two teams will play five times this season, as the WNBA isn’t going to miss any opportunities to milk this rivalry.
Saturday, May 17: Las Vegas Aces at New York Liberty (3:00 p.m. ET)
It’ll be ring afternoon in Brooklyn in the second game of the opening Saturday triple-header, as the Liberty will raise their first banner at the Barclays Center while A’ja Wilson and the Aces look on after falling short of their three-peat when the Liberty eliminated them in the semis.
Friday, June 6: Los Angeles Sparks at Dallas Wings (9:30 p.m. ET)
The No. 1 and No. 2 picks in the 2025 Draft will meet in Dallas in early June in a Commissioner’s Cup game. As of early December, that seems likely to be Paige Bueckers and Kiki Iriafen, but there’s a lot of time for things to change.
Friday, June 27: Indiana Fever at Dallas Wings (7:30 p.m. ET)
This figures to be the first matchup at the pro level between Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers, and provided Bueckers does in fact end up in Dallas as expected, I have a feeling this will get moved out of the College Park Center and into American Airlines Center.
Wednesday, July 30: New York Liberty at Minnesota Lynx (8:00 p.m. ET)
We won’t get the first Finals rematch of a year ago until the end of July, when the Liberty make the trip to Minneapolis to face the Lynx. In a bit of an odd scheduling quirk, they’ll play all four of their games against each other in the span of 20 days.
Saturday, August 30: Minnesota Lynx at Connecticut Sun (7:00 p.m. ET)
These two played a highly entertaining semifinal series a year ago, and this late season matchup could have serious seeding implications at the top of the league.
Thursday, September 4: Minnesota Lynx at Las Vegas Aces (10:00 p.m. ET)
Another big game for Minnesota towards the end of the season will see Napheesa Collier and A’ja Wilson do battle in a game that may be a final argument in the MVP race between the top two candidates from a year ago, as well as having an impact on playoff seeding.
