When Was the 2026 WNBA Schedule Released?

The 2026 WNBA schedule was released on Wednesday, January 21, 2026. That was the day the league published the regular-season game dates for its 30th season. The separate national television and streaming schedule followed on April 22.

That distinction matters because an early copy of the schedule may show the correct opponents and dates while missing channels that were assigned later. This guide explains what fans learned in January, what arrived in April and where to find the most current version now. It does not duplicate the league's full 330-game slate; for that, use the live 2026 WNBA schedule.

Last updated: July 27, 2026.

2026 WNBA schedule release timeline

The schedule came together in stages. The January announcement established the season calendar, while the April announcement filled in the national distribution plan.

Date	What happened	Why it mattered
January 21, 2026	Regular-season schedule released	Fans received team opponents, dates, season structure and major event windows.
April 22, 2026	National broadcast schedule released	National TV and streaming assignments were added for 216 games.
May 8, 2026	Regular season began	Three games opened the league's 30th season.
September 24, 2026	Scheduled regular-season finale	Five games are scheduled on the final day.
September 27, 2026	Scheduled playoff opener	The top eight teams begin the postseason.

The two September dates remain scheduled dates as of this update. A release date is a historical fact, but future game details can still be revised.

What the January 21 schedule announcement confirmed

The WNBA's official release did much more than reveal opening night. It mapped a five-month regular season, expansion debuts, the Commissioner's Cup window, All-Star weekend, an international competition break and the planned start of the playoffs.

A 44-game season for 15 teams

Each club received a 44-game regular-season schedule: 22 home games and 22 road games. With 15 teams in the league, that produced 330 total games. The arithmetic can look confusing because 15 multiplied by 44 equals 660 team appearances, but every game appears on two team schedules, so the leaguewide total is 330.

The alignment was also new. The Eastern Conference contained seven teams, while the Western Conference contained eight. Each team was scheduled to play every cross-conference opponent three times and its in-conference opponents three or four times, including Commissioner's Cup games. Those details help explain why two clubs may not have identical home-and-away patterns against every opponent.

Expansion debuts and opening weekend

The first weekend immediately introduced the league's two expansion teams. Toronto Tempo hosted the Washington Mystics on Friday, May 8, and Portland Fire hosted the Chicago Sky on Saturday, May 9. By the end of Sunday, all 15 teams had appeared.

The release also gave fans recognizable planning anchors. Dallas visited Indiana on May 9, Phoenix visited defending champion Las Vegas in a Finals rematch later that day, and Minnesota hosted Atlanta on May 10. Those examples were useful previews, but the live schedule remains the better place to browse every matchup and filter by team or date.

Cup, All-Star and FIBA-break markers

The announcement established several season-within-the-season dates. Commissioner's Cup play occupied June 1 through June 17, with the title game set for June 30. All-Star activities were placed on July 24 and 25 in Chicago. Near the other end of the calendar, the schedule included a pause around the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup in Germany.

No WNBA regular-season games were scheduled from August 31 through September 16. League play is scheduled to resume September 17, leaving a short final sprint before the September 24 finale. Fans who do not want to enter these dates manually can use the site's WNBA calendar tools.

What was not included in the first release

The January schedule was not the final word on how every game would be watched. The league specifically said that its complete television and streaming schedule would be unveiled later. Team announcements issued on January 21 carried similar notes, so a schedule without complete channel assignments was expected at that stage.

The national TV schedule arrived April 22

On April 22, the WNBA announced a record 216 nationally distributed regular-season games. The partner lineup included ABC and ESPN, NBC and Peacock, Prime Video, CBS Sports and Paramount+, ION, USA Network and NBA TV. That release filled in a large part of the viewing picture nearly three months after the game dates became public.

It is still better to use the current WNBA TV schedule than a January or April screenshot. Listings can be refined, and local distribution may differ from the national assignment shown in an initial announcement.

Individual game details can still change

Publishing a season schedule does not freeze every date, time, arena or channel. Games can be postponed or rescheduled, and a broadcast partner can affect tipoff time. In July, for example, a New York–Dallas game was postponed and assigned a new date. That is exactly why a live schedule should remain the last check before travel or viewing plans.

For same-day status, start times and final updates, open today's WNBA games. The January 21 release remains the correct answer to “when did the schedule come out,” but it is not a substitute for a current game page.

Which WNBA schedule tool should you use now?

Choose the page that matches what you are trying to do:

• Browse the entire season or filter games: use the live schedule on the home page.
• Check games being played today: use the Today page for current status and start times.
• Find channels and streaming assignments: use the TV schedule rather than the original January announcement.
• Make a paper-friendly copy: use the printable WNBA schedule. This page does not promise a separate PDF file.
• Add games to a digital calendar: use the calendar page and its available ICS options.

This division keeps each resource useful. The article preserves the announcement history; the tools handle dates, filters, channels and updates.

Why the January release date mattered

A January release gave fans more than three months to plan for opening weekend. It also let teams begin promoting home dates, selling available ticket products and confirming venue operations. Broadcasters could work from a stable game framework before national assignments were announced in April.

That advance notice was especially important in 2026 because six teams were scheduled to host a combined 19 games in larger alternate venues. Toronto alone had home games spread across Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. Dallas, Chicago, Connecticut, Las Vegas and Washington also had selected games outside their usual building or in larger local arenas.

For travelers, the sensible approach is to use January's release as the planning starting point and then verify the exact game close to departure. A listed opponent may remain the same even when the time, channel or venue note changes.

Frequently asked questions

Was the 2026 WNBA schedule released in January?

Yes. The WNBA released the 2026 regular-season game schedule on Wednesday, January 21, 2026.

When was the 2026 WNBA TV schedule released?

The league announced its national television and streaming schedule on April 22, 2026. That was separate from the January 21 game-schedule release.

Can the schedule change after release?

Yes. Postponements, venue adjustments, tipoff-time changes and channel updates can happen after the initial release. Check the live schedule near game day.

Where can I print or add the schedule to a calendar?

Use the site's printable schedule for a paper-friendly view or the calendar page for supported calendar and ICS options. Both are maintained separately from this release-date explainer.