There will be no shortage of compelling storylines for the 2025 WNBA season.
A new franchise. Playoff rematches. Star-studded showdowns and rookie debuts.
Bring it on.
WNBA free agency, which is still months away, will surely add even more intrigue to regular-season matchups.
Breanna Stewart, Brittney Griner, Alyssa Thomas, Satou Sabally, Kelsey Plum and Nneka Ogwumike are all unrestricted free agents. Will they stay with their current teams? Or will they put on new threads next season?
Teams can begin talking with them — along with other free agents — Jan. 21, but deals can’t be officially signed until Feb. 1. The regular season is set to tip off May 16 and will conclude Sept. 11.
With the WNBA revealing its 2025 regular-season slate Monday, here are a few games you won’t want to miss:
Los Angeles Sparks at Golden State Valkyries, May 16
The Golden State Valkyries, the 13th franchise in the WNBA, will tip off their inaugural season on the first day of the WNBA season. There’s a natural in-state rivalry at play between the Valkyries and Sparks, making it an ideal first game for Golden State. The game will also feature two first-time WNBA head coaches: Los Angeles’ Lynne Roberts and Golden State’s Natalie Nakase.
Las Vegas Aces at New York Liberty, May 17
The Liberty are opening their title defense against a team they’ve faced in each of the past two postseasons. The Aces knocked off New York in the 2023 WNBA Finals to win their second straight title. Last year, the Liberty had the Aces’ number, beating them in the semifinals before winning the franchise’s first championship. These two super teams don’t lack star power with three-time league MVP A’ja Wilson and Stewart, a two-time MVP, only scratching the surface. The Liberty are also planning to commemorate their 2024 WNBA championship at that game.
Phoenix Mercury at Minnesota Lynx, June 3
Whether Diana Taurasi will retire ahead of the 2025 season has yet to be seen. But if Taurasi decides to sign up for one last run — and a farewell tour — then expect every Mercury road game to have special meaning. Even if Taurasi decides 2024 was her last season, this Commissioner’s Cup game should be interesting because it’s the first meeting between the two teams since the Lynx sent Phoenix home in the first round of the playoffs.
Indiana Fever at Chicago Sky, June 7
The rivalry between the Sky and Fever — and perhaps more specifically between second-year sensations Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark — will remain a recurring storyline. The two teams will go head-to-head five times, starting with each team’s season opener. The June 7 game will be a Commissioner’s Cup game adding to the importance of it. Reese and Clark no doubt have a lot of mutual respect, going back to their young college playing days. In their own ways, they helped elevate women’s basketball and made it more mainstream. The two teams always seem to bring an added level of intensity when playing each other, making this game — and the other four meetings — no-brainers to watch.
Indiana Fever at Dallas Wings, June 27
How about the 2024 and 2025 top picks going at it against one another? That’s what this late June game is slated to serve up. The Wings have the rights to the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft. It’s widely believed that Dallas will take Connecticut star Paige Bueckers — that is, if she declares for the draft rather than use her final year of NCAA eligibility. Still, even if it’s not Bueckers, it should be fun watching another promising rookie go up against Caitlin Clark, the reigning Rookie of the Year, who made a near seamless transition from college to the pros.
Minnesota Lynx at New York Liberty, Aug. 10
A winner-takes-all Game 5 of the WNBA Finals featuring the Lynx and Liberty was the most watched WNBA finals game in 25 years. The series was filled with drama — from eye-popping game-winning shots and critical missed free throws to controversial whistles and roaring comebacks. The Aug. 10 game at Barclays Center will be the second of four meetings between the Lynx and Liberty this season and the first time Napheesa Collier and the Lynx return to Brooklyn since they fell short of winning a title.
