The WNBA officially released its 2026 regular-season schedule last January 21st, marking a historic 30th-anniversary milestone for the league. Tipping off on Friday, May 8th, the season expands to 15 franchises with the highly anticipated debuts of the Toronto Tempo—Canada’s first WNBA team—and the return of Portland Fire.

Opening night will feature the Toronto Tempo hosting the Washington Mystics, while May 9 sees the Portland Fire host the Chicago Sky. That same Saturday, fans will witness a “clash of icons” as Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever face Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings. To honor the league’s roots, a special Anniversary Game is set for June 21, featuring a rematch of the 1997 inaugural game between the Los Angeles Sparks and the New York Liberty.

The 44-game slate includes a mid-season pause from August 31 to September 16 for the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Germany. All-Star Weekend will be in Chicago on July 24–25. Even though the league released the schedule, both the league and the players’ union remain in active CBA negotiations, with fans, including me, hopeful for a resolution before the May 8 tip-off. The regular season concludes September 24, leading directly into the playoffs.

Here are key dates to remember;

For Fever fans you can checkout their schedule below;

save our 2026 schedule with our wallpaper 📱

download the schedule & add it straight to your personal calendar at https://t.co/w9mFsKDfFo. pic.twitter.com/5FK8BTSbmq

— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) January 21, 2026