WNBA to Nationally Broadcast Preseason Video games

The league will present nationwide protection for 15 preseason video games for the primary time in WNBA historical past.

One 12 months in the past, the whole WNBA fanbase watched a preseason recreation between the Chicago Sky and Minnesota Lynx streamed from a cellphone on X. As ladies’s basketball has continued to soar, the league has adjusted accordingly, and rightfully so. This marks a significant milestone as far publicity throughout the WNBA. This comes after the WNBA introduced Disney networks will air all 29 postseason video games.

The occasion streamed on X occurred to be Angel Reese’s first preseason look as a rookie. Captured by Alli Schneider, the published drew as much as 2 million views on the platform, together with over 2,500 reposts and practically 400 replies.

On Tuesday, Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve expressed her enthusiasm in regards to the televised video games.

“I believe final 12 months this time, when the preseason recreation began, and the extent of enthusiasm and from our followers wanting to look at preseason basketball,” stated Reeve. “The infamous 2 million considered, the reside Twitter. I believe the league noticed there was an urge for food for that. And so it is a good evolution for the league. We all know that our followers that for a very long time have needed this.”

—Sara Jane Gamelli, Ballislife

DATEVISITORHOMEARENATIME (ET)NETWORK

5/2Dallas WingsLas Vegas AcesPurcell Pavilion at Joyce Middle (Notre Dame)7:00 PMION/ WNBA League Go

5/2Brazil Nationwide Group Chicago SkyPete Maravich Meeting Middle (LSU) 9:00 PMION/ WNBA League Go

5/3Washington MysticsIndiana FeverGainbridge Fieldhouse (Indiana)1:00 PMNBA TV

5/4Brazil Nationwide TeamIndiana FeverCarver-Hawkeye Enviornment (Iowa Metropolis)4:00 PMESPN

5/4Connecticut SunSeattle StormClimate Pledge Enviornment (Seattle)6:00 PMWNBA League Go

5/6Minnesota LynxChicago SkyWintrust Enviornment (Chicago)7:00 PMWNBA League Go

5/6Los Angeles SparksGolden State ValkyriesChase Middle (San Francisco)10:00 PMWNBA League Go

5/6Phoenix MercuryLas Vegas AcesMichelob Extremely Enviornment (Las Vegas)10:00 PMWNBA League Go

5/7Atlanta DreamWashington MysticsCareFirst Enviornment (DC)11:30 AMWNBA League Go

5/9Connecticut SunNew York LibertyBarclays Middle (NY)7:00 PMWNBA League Go

5/10Indiana FeverAtlanta DreamGateway Middle Enviornment @ School Park (ATL)3:00 PMWNBA League Go

5/10Chicago SkyMinnesota LynxTarget Middle (MN)8:00 PMWNBA League Go

5/10Toyota Antelopes Dallas WingsCollege Park Middle (Arlington, TX)8:00 PMWNBA League Go

5/11Golden State ValkyriesPhoenix MercuryPHX Enviornment (Phoenix)6:00 PMWNBA League Go

5/12Toyota AntelopesNew York LibertyMatthew Knight Enviornment (College of Oregon)10:00 PMWNBA League Go

The 2025 WNBA Preseason Options A number of Storylines

For the primary time, followers will witness a glimpse of what the league and gamers deserve: visibility. 15 video games are set to air on nationwide tv, which is able to rotate between ESPN, ION, and NBA TV.

“We’ve seen the demand for WNBA content material develop exponentially and we’re assembly that demand by working with our broadcast companions and our groups to make a big funding by making all 15 preseason video games obtainable to WNBA followers,” stated WNBA Chief Development Officer Colie Edison.

The WNBA is coming off one of the crucial historic seasons that featured an unimaginable proficient rookie class. With the league having already taken off, home maintain names corresponding to Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Rickea Jackson, and Cameron Brink set the league by storm.

2024 marked essentially the most common watched season in 24 years, together with a 170 p.c improve in viewership from the earlier season on ESPN. The league moreover noticed appreciable development in attendance (up 48 p.c), merchandise gross sales ( up 233 p.c), social media engagement, All-Star voting, and worldwide curiosity.

The most recent growth workforce, the Golden State Valkyries drafted seven worldwide gamers alone within the growth draft. Worldwide gamers such because the Storm’s Dominique Malonga, the Valkyries’ Juste Jocyte, and the Sky’s Ajsa Sivka had been all drafted within the first spherical of the 2025 WNBA Draft.

This 12 months’s draft class was highlighted by Paige Bueckers, Sonia Citron, Kiki Irafien, and Hailey Van Lith simply to call a number of. With the elevated expertise and growth of WNBA, there is a excessive stage of curiosity throughout the board. With the Toronto Tempo set to grow to be the following WNBA growth workforce, there is a rising reputation globally.

The Aces will Matchup with the Wings At Notre Dame

The 2025 WNBA preseason brings pleasure, as a number of gamers will return to their school campuses for exhibition matchups. With the preseason set to start on Might 2, the Dallas Wings will face the Las Vegas Aces on the College of Notre Dame.

The matchup will spotlight Bueckers’ first-ever recreation in a Wings uniform. Nonetheless, a number of gamers are alumnae of Notre Dame, together with the Aces’ Jackie Younger and Jewell Loyd, in addition to the Wings’ Arike Ogunbowale. Teammates at Notre Dame, Ogunbowale and Younger had been in actual fact a part of the sensational 2017-2018 Championship workforce in South Bend.

In truth, it was Ogunbowale who sunk a recreation profitable shot on the buzzer to raise Notre Dame over UConn to go to the title recreation in 2018. She’s notoriously identified for bringing Notre Dame their first Nationwide title for the reason that early 2000’s win a final second 3-point bucket. Though Bueckers wasn’t a thought for UConn , she acknowledges how profound ladies’s basketball is in South Bend.

“I do know at Notre Dame they love their ladies’s basketball,” stated Bueckers. “Superb turnout clearly for Arike [Ogunbowale], Jewell [Loyd], and Jackie [Young]. A Notre Dame alum recreation. Not a lot for me being at UConn. I do know it is an awesome atmosphere, and it will likely be an awesome turnout there.”

—Grant Afseth, Ballislife

For Loyd, she’ll endlessly be often known as top-of-the-line to don a Combating Irish uniform, though the Irish conceded to the Connecticut Huskies in back-to-back Nationwide Championships. This recreation alerts Loyd’s first look since traded to the Aces.

“Will probably be the final word method for followers to observe their favourite gamers as all 13 groups put together to tip off the common season in mid-Might. And the preseason schedule itself, with superstars returning to the arenas the place they starred in school and in some circumstances, groups from all over the world serving as opponents, brings a wholly new stage of pleasure to the WNBA preseason.” (WNBA Chief Development Officer Colie Edison)

Angel Reese, Hailey Van Lith Return to LSU

Second 12 months sophomore and 2024 WNBA rebounding chief Angel Reese will return to Baton Route, through which she led to a Nationwide Title in 2023. On this matchup, the Brazilian Nationwide Group will matchup towards the Chicago Sky at LSU.

This matchup is critical for a number of causes. From school rivals to teammates, Kamilla Cardoso is a Brazalian native, and has represented the Brazilian  Nationwide Ladies’s workforce. Drafted No. 11 general by the Chicago Sky, former LSU guard Hailey Van Lith will make her return to LSU. Previous to transferring to TCU for her fifth 12 months of eligibility, Van Lith spent the 2023-2024 season beneath Kim Mulkey and the LSU Tigers.

Caitlin Clark Makes Her Lengthy Awaited Return To Carver

Maybe one of the crucial important storylines, Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark will make her return to Carver-Hawkeye Enviornment, and the College of Iowa. Having spent 4 years as a Hawkeye, it was the place Clark broke the all-time D1 scoring document.

Returning to her roots, Clark and the Indiana Fever will face the the Brazil Nationwide Group in Iowa Metropolis on Might 4. Named an All-Star and Rookie of the 12 months in 2024, Clark has undoubtedly moved the needle in ladies’s basketball.

Based on Yahoo, tickets for the occasion offered out in simply 42 minutes, and this would be the first time Clark will return to her alma mater for the primary time as an expert participant. Again in February, Clark grew to become immortalized in Iowa Metropolis, changing into simply the third Ladies’s Hawkeye to ever have their jersey hung within the rafters.

Regardless of a rocky begin, the Indiana Fever managed to ascertain themselves as a playoff contender. Though conceding to the Connecticut Solar within the playoffs, the Fever made a number of acquisitions within the offseason. Hiring former Solar head coach Stephanie White, the Fever constructed a championship caliber roster round Clark and Aliyah Boston.

Re-signing guard Kelsey Mitchell was step one in culminating a championship roster. Within the low season the Fever signed or acquired Sophie Cunningham, DeWanna Bonner, Brianna Tuner, Sydney Colson, and Jaelyn Brown. Almost a revamped roster, the Fever chosen Bree Corridor and Makayla Timpson within the 2025 WNBA Draft.

When Does the Preseason Begin?

With the WNBA preseason slated to start on Friday, Might 2, the 15 video games spotlight a number of different storylines. As for the west coast, the Golden State Valkyries will make their franchise debut towards the Sparks on Might 6.

As well as, New York Liberty’s Sabrina Ionescu and Nyara Sabally will return to the College of Oregon.

Preseason will wrap up on Might 16, and the twenty ninth WNBA common season will tip-off on Might 16. 

Sara Jane Gamelli is a full-time Author, Journalist, Content material Creator, Managing Editor, and Supervisor for Ballislife Bets. She has a give attention to the NBA, WNBA, NCAA Basketball, and the NFL. Sara Jane at the moment resides within the Connecticut/NYC space together with her Cat and Canine. SJ has her undergraduate diploma from the College of Connecticut in Economics, with a minor in enterprise administration.