ESPN’s coverage of the 2018 WNBA season will tip off Sunday, May 20, at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN2 when the defending champion Minnesota Lynx — led by Maya Moore – host the 2016 WNBA champions Los Angeles Sparks and 2016 WNBA Finals MVP Candace Parker in a rematch of last year’s Finals.
ESPN’s slate of games in the 2018 season will feature three rematches of last year’s WNBA Finals between the Sparks and the Lynx (May 20, July 5 and August 2), and will also include seven games for the Sparks and six for the Lynx. All 13 telecasts will feature at least one previous WNBA MVP, and 11 games will feature a former No. 1-overall draft pick including: the Lynx’s Moore and Seimone Augustus; the Sparks’ Parker and Nneka Ogwumike; the Phoenix Mercury’s Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner; the Seattle Storm’s Sue Bird, Jewell Loyd and Breanna Stewart; the New York Liberty’s Tina Charles; and the Las Vegas Aces’ Kelsey Plum and A’ja Wilson.
ESPN will have several special telecasts this season featuring unique production methods tailored to offer commentary and analysis from some of the best voices in the game. On Thursday, May 24 – Los Angeles Sparks at Connecticut Sun – Rebecca Lobo and Kara Lawson will be the “Coaches on the Bench”, with each sitting on an opposing team’s side of the scorer’s table and offering viewers analysis and other details from a coach’s perspective on substitutions, play decisions and in-game adjustments. Ryan Ruocco will offer traditional courtside play-by-play commentary for the game.
Also, the Tuesday, July 24 game between the New York Liberty and the Minnesota Lynx on ESPN2 will be billed as a “Legends Game” with WNBA legends Rebecca Lobo, Kara Lawson and Lisa Leslie calling the game courtside, without a traditional play-by-play announcer.
ESPN will add two cameras to its in-game coverage, positioned beneath each basket to capture additional points-of-view and replay action in the paint;
In select games, two player mics will be added to the coaches’ mics that are utilized during each game;
ABC will broadcast the 2018 WNBA All-Star Game from the Target Center in Minneapolis, on Saturday July 28, at 3:30 p.m. on ABC. Additional details for ABC’s telecast will be released closer to the game.
All games will also stream live on the ESPN App. ESPN will again televise each game of the 2018 WNBA postseason from the first round to the Finals.
In addition, NBA TV will tip off its 2018 WNBA game schedule with the WNBA’s season opener featuring the Dallas Wings and Skylar Diggins-Smith at the Phoenix Mercury and Brittney Griner on Friday, May 18, at 10 p.m. ET.
The following is the WNBA regular season schedule with game start times (subject to change; all times are Eastern), respective networks and game announcers:
Friday, May 18 10 p.m. on NBA TV
Dallas Wings at Phoenix Mercury
Announcers: Tom Leander, Ann Meyers-Drysdale
Saturday, May 19 1 p.m. on NBA TV
Chicago Sky at Indiana Fever
Announcers: Pat Boylan, Tamika Catchings
Sunday, May 20 1 p.m. on NBA TV
Indiana Fever at Washington Mystics
Announcers: Frank Hanrahan, Christy Winters-Scott, Dan Nolan
Sunday, May 20 1 p.m. on Twitter
Las Vegas Aces at Connecticut Sun
Announcers: Bob Heussler, Sarah Kustok, Robin Round
Sunday, May 20 3 p.m. on Twitter
Atlanta Dream at Dallas Wings
Announcers: Ron Thulin, Raegan Pebley, Alexa Shaw
Sunday, May 20 5 p.m. on ESPN2
Los Angeles Sparks at Minnesota Lynx
Announcers: Holly Rowe (play-by-play), Rebecca Lobo (analyst), LaChina Robinson (analyst), Katie Douglas (reporter)
Sunday, May 20 7 p.m. on Twitter
New York Liberty at Chicago Sky
Announcers: Lisa Byington, Stephen Bardo, Patricia Babcock-McGraw
Sunday, May 20 9 p.m. on Twitter
Phoenix Mercury at Seattle Storm
Announcers: Dick Fain, Elise Woodward
Tuesday, May 22 7 p.m. on Twitter
Los Angeles Sparks at Indiana Fever
Announcers: Pat Boylan, Tamika Catchings
Thursday, May 24 7 p.m. on ESPN2
Los Angeles Sparks at Connecticut Sun
Announcers: Ryan Ruocco (play-by-play), Rebecca Lobo (analyst), Kara Lawson (analyst), Katie Douglas (reporter)
Thursday, May 24 7 p.m. on ESPN3
Washington Mystic at Indiana Fever
Announcers: Pat Boylan, Tamika Catchings
Sunday, May 27 8:30 p.m. on NBA TV
Seattle Storm at Las Vegas Aces
Announcers: Anne Marie Anderson, Rushia Brown, Dawn Staley (3rd quarter), Katy Winge
Tuesday, May 29 7 p.m. on Twitter
Minnesota Lynx at Atlanta Dream
Announcers: Bob Rathbun, LaChina Robinson, Tabitha Turner
Tuesday, May 29 10 p.m. on Twitter
Washington Mystic at Seattle Storm
Announcers: Dick Fain, Elise Woodward
Friday, June 1 8 p.m. on ESPN2
Phoenix Mercury at Minnesota Lynx
Announcers: Pam Ward (play-by-play), Rebecca Lobo (analyst), LaChina Robinson (analyst), Katie Douglas (studio)
Thursday, June 7 10:30 p.m. on ESPN2
Seattle Storm at Los Angeles Sparks
Announcers: Ryan Ruocco (play-by-play), LaChina Robinson (analyst), Holly Rowe (reporter)
Saturday, June 9 2 p.m. on NBA TV
Minnesota Lynx at Connecticut Sun
Wednesday, June 13 7 p.m. on ESPN2
Washington Mystic at Connecticut Sun
Announcers: Ryan Ruocco (play-by-play), Rebecca Lobo (analyst), Holly Rowe (reporter), Lisa Leslie (studio)
Thursday, June 14 11:30 a.m. on NBA TV
Indiana Fever at Atlanta Dream
Sunday, June 17 8 p.m. on NBA TV
Phoenix Mercury at Las Vegas Aces
Friday, June 22 10 p.m. on ESPN2
New York Liberty at Las Vegas Aces
Announcers: Pam Ward (play-by-play), Kara Lawson (analyst), LaChina Robinson (analyst), Katie Douglas (studio)
Sunday, June 24 4 p.m. on NBA TV
Seattle Storm at Dallas Wings
Sunday, June 24 6 p.m. on NBA TV
Minnesota Lynx at Las Vegas Aces
Wednesday, June 27 7 p.m. on NBA TV
Indiana Fever at Connecticut Sun
Wednesday, June 27 10 p.m. on NBA TV
Dallas Wings at Las Vegas Aces
Thursday, June 28 7 p.m. on NBA TV
New York Liberty at Washington Mystics
Thursday, June 28 9 p.m. on ESPN2
Los Angeles Sparks at Seattle Storm
Announcers: Ryan Ruocco (play-by-play), Rebecca Lobo (analyst), Holly Rowe (reporter), Chamique Holdsclaw (studio)
Friday, June 29 8 p.m. on NBA TV
Atlanta Dream at Minnesota Lynx
Thursday, July 5 8 p.m. on ESPN2
Los Angeles Sparks at Minnesota Lynx
Announcers: Pam Ward (play-by-play), Kara Lawson (analyst), LaChina Robinson (analyst)
Wednesday, July 11 11:30 a.m. on NBA TV
New York Liberty at Connecticut Sun
Sunday, July 15 3 p.m. on NBA TV
Chicago Sky at New York Liberty
Sunday, July 15 5 p.m. on NBA TV
Phoenix Mercury at Indiana Fever
Sunday, July 15 7 p.m. on NBA TV
Connecticut Sun at Minnesota Lynx
Wednesday, July 18 1 p.m. on NBA TV
Indiana Fever at Minnesota Lynx
Thursday, July 19 8 p.m. on ESPN2
Washington Mystic at Dallas Wings
Announcers: Ryan Ruocco (play-by-play), Rebecca Lobo (analyst), Holly Rowe (reporter), Lisa Leslie (studio)
Friday, July 20 7 p.m. on NBA TV
Seattle Storm at Connecticut Sun
Friday, July 20 9 p.m. on NBA TV
Dallas Wings at Chicago Sky
Saturday, July 21 3 p.m. on NBA TV
Washington Mystics at New York Liberty
Sunday, July 22 3 p.m. on NBA TV
Seattle Storm at Atlanta Dream
Sunday, July 22 6 p.m. on NBA TV
Los Angeles Sparks at Chicago Sky
Tuesday, July 24 8 p.m. on ESPN2
New York Liberty at Minnesota Lynx
Announcers: Rebecca Lobo, Kara Lawson, Lisa Leslie, Chamique Holdsclaw (studio)
Saturday, July 28 3:30 p.m. on ABC
2018 WNBA All-Star Game
Announcers: Ryan Ruocco (play-by-play), Rebecca Lobo (analyst), LaChina Robinson (analyst), Holly Rowe (reporter)
Tuesday, July 31 8 p.m. on NBA TV
Chicago Sky at Dallas Wings
Wednesday, August 1 7 p.m. on NBA TV
New York Liberty at Connecticut Sun
Wednesday, August 1 10 p.m. on NBA TV
Phoenix Mercury at Las Vegas Aces
Thursday, August 2 7 p.m. on NBA TV
Dallas Wings at Indiana Fever
Thursday, August 2 10 p.m. on ESPN2
Minnesota Lynx at Los Angeles Sparks
Announcers: Ryan Ruocco (play-by-play), Rebecca Lobo (analyst), Holly Rowe (reporter), Katie Douglas (studio)
Friday, August 3 7 p.m. on NBA TV
Las Vegas Aces at Washington Mystics
Friday, August 3 10 p.m. on NBA TV
Minnesota Lynx at Seattle Storm
Saturday, August 4 3 p.m. on NBA TV
Indiana Fever at New York Liberty
Sunday, August 5 4 p.m. on NBA TV
Washington Mystics at Dallas Wings
Sunday, August 5 7 p.m. on NBA TV
Phoenix Mercury at Los Angeles Sparks
Monday, August 6 11 a.m. on NBA TV
Seattle Storm at New York Liberty
Tuesday, August 7 7 p.m. on NBA TV
Seattle Storm at Indiana Fever
Tuesday, August 7 10 p.m. on NBA TV
Washington Mystics at Phoenix Mercury
Wednesday, August 8 7 p.m. on NBA TV
Los Angeles Sparks at New York Liberty
Thursday, August 9 11:30 a.m. on NBA TV
Seattle Storm at Washington Mystics
Thursday, August 9 11:30 a.m. on NBA TV
Seattle Storm at Washington Mystics
Thursday, August 9 7 p.m. on NBA TV
Los Angeles Sparks at Atlanta Dream
Thursday, August 9 10 p.m. on NBA TV
Minnesota Lynx at Las Vegas Aces
Friday, August 10 10:30 p.m. on NBA TV
Indiana Fever at Phoenix Mercury
Saturday, August 11 2 p.m. on NBA TV
Dallas Wings at Atlanta Dream
Sunday, August 12 1 p.m. on NBA TV
Dallas Wings at Washington Mystics
Sunday, August 12 7 p.m. on ESPN2
Los Angeles Sparks at Phoenix Mercury
Announcers: Pam Ward (play-by-play), Kara Lawson (analyst), LaChina Robinson (analyst), Rebecca Lobo (studio)
Tuesday, August 14 8 p.m. on NBA TV
Chicago Sky at Minnesota Lynx
Tuesday, August 14 10:30 p.m. on NBA TV
New York Liberty at Los Angeles Sparks
Wednesday, August 15 7 p.m. on NBA TV
Washington Mystic at Indiana Fever
Wednesday, August 15 10 p.m. on NBA TV
New York Liberty at Las Vegas Aces
Friday, August 17 7 p.m. on NBA TV
Los Angeles Sparks at Washington Mystics
Friday, August 17 10 p.m. on NBA TV
New York Liberty at Seattle Storm
Saturday, August 18 4 p.m. on NBA TV
Chicago Sky at Indiana Fever
Sunday, August 19 7 p.m. on ESPN2
Washington Mystic at Minnesota Lynx
Announcers: Pam Ward (play-by-play), Rebecca Lobo (analyst), Holly Rowe (reporter), LaChina Robinson (studio)
