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Key Dates for the 2023 WNBA Season
After a 2022 season that was the most watched in 14 years, the WNBA is back and expanding its schedule, with each team playing a record-high 40 games in ’23 (up from 36 last season).
Additionally, fans will be able to root for their favorite team in the hunt for the Commissioner’s Cup, returning in early summer for the third year before the playoffs kick off in September. After the Fever won the draft lottery for the top pick of 2023, all eyes are on Aliyah Boston as the potential No. 1 in April’s WNBA draft.
Nationally televised WNBA games will air on a combination of ESPN and CBS Sports networks, which can be streamed live through fuboTV.
WNBA 2023 Key Dates
Free Agency
Teams can begin negotiating with players Saturday, Jan. 21, but no player can officially sign until Wednesday, Feb. 1.
2023 Draft
The 2023 draft will be held Monday, April 10.
The four nonplayoff teams from 2022 qualified for the lottery drawing (Fever, Dream, Sparks, Lynx), with Indiana winning the No. 1 pick. However, the Sparks made a trade with the Mystics in February last year, which means that the draft order is as follows: Fever, Lynx, Dream, Mystics.
Season Start
The regular season will begin Friday, May 19, with all 12 teams to appear during opening weekend.
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Friday, May 19
- Connecticut Sun at Indiana Fever (7 p.m.)
- New York Liberty at Washington Mystics (7 p.m.)
- Chicago Sky at Minnesota Lynx (8 p.m.)
- Phoenix Mercury at Los Angeles Sparks (10 p.m.)
Saturday, May 20
- Las Vegas Aces at Seattle Storm (3 p.m.)
- Atlanta Dream at Dallas Wings (8 p.m.)
Kelsey Plum was given the WNBA All-Star Game MVP Award.
David Banks/USA TODAY Sports
All-Star Weekend
The All-Star Game will be played Saturday, July 15.
Commissioner’s Cup Championship
The championship game for the Cup will be Tuesday, Aug. 15. The Commissioner’s Cup games will run from Friday, May 19 to Wednesday, July 12. The tournament tracks each team’s first home and away conference game, and then the teams with the top records in those games advance to play in the championship.
Season End
The regular season will end Sunday, Sept. 10.
Playoffs
The 2023 playoffs will begin Wednesday, Sept. 13 and continue through October, with the last possible finals date set as Friday, Oct. 20.
