The WNBA has released its game schedule for the 2022 regular season, which will feature a record-high 36 games per team. The expanded regular season will tip off on Friday, May 6 with a weekend of action showcasing all 12 teams. The league’s 26th regular season will conclude on Sunday, Aug. 14, followed by the WNBA Playoffs presented by Google, which as previously announced, will have a new format this season.
The WNBA will unveil its complete television and streaming schedule at a later date.
“Coming off our historic 25th season when the WNBA enjoyed its most-watched season since 2008 and set records for merchandise sales and engagement across social media platforms, we are looking forward to what is already a highly anticipated tip off of the 2022 season in May,” said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. “The 36-game schedule will provide fans greater opportunities to see the best players in the world compete at the highest level and year two of the Commissioner’s Cup brings added incentive to the first half of the season for players and teams while offering fans conference rivalry competition through which to support their favorite teams.”
The 2022 season will begin on Friday, May 6 with four star-studded matchups. Former WNBA MVP Candace Parker and the defending champion Chicago Sky will host former MVP Nneka Ogwumike and the Los Angeles Sparks (8 p.m. ET). In a rematch of a thrilling 2021 WNBA Semifinals series, the Phoenix Mercury and its trio of 2021 All-Stars – WNBA career scoring leader Diana Taurasi, Skylar Diggins-Smith and Brittney Griner – will host the Las Vegas Aces, who were led in 2021 by their own quartet of All-Stars in Liz Cambage, Chelsea Gray, Dearica Hamby, and A’ja Wilson (10 p.m. ET).
The opening-night schedule will also feature the Seattle Storm, led most recently by WNBA all-time assists leader Sue Bird and former regular-season and Finals MVP Breanna Stewart, hosting the Minnesota Lynx, which had the league’s third-best record last season behind former regular-season and Finals MVP Sylvia Fowles (10 p.m. ET). In addition, the Washington Mystics, paced in 2021 by All-Star Ariel Atkins and league scoring leader Tina Charles, will face the visiting Indiana Fever and Kelsey Mitchell, the team’s leading scorer in each of the past three seasons (7 p.m. ET).
Action will continue on Saturday, May 7 when the league’s four remaining teams tip off their 2022 seasons. Former No. 1 overall draft pick Sabrina Ionescu, 2021 Kia WNBA Rookie of the Year Michaela Onyenwere and the New York Liberty will host the Connecticut Sun, which posted a league-best 26-6 record last season behind reigning Kia WNBA MVP Jonquel Jones and fellow 2021 All-Stars DeWanna Bonner and Brionna Jones (6 p.m. ET). Also on Saturday, Arike Ogunbowale, 2021 All-Star MVP and an All-WNBA Team selection each of the past two seasons, and the Dallas Wings will host the Atlanta Dream, which has been led by former All-WNBA First Team selection Tiffany Hayes for the last nine seasons (8 p.m. ET).
The WNBA will conclude its opening weekend on Sunday, May 8 with three games: Los Angeles at Indiana (3 p.m. ET), Seattle at Las Vegas (6 p.m. ET), and Washington at Minnesota (7 p.m. ET).
