MVP faces No. 1 draft pick in WNBA season opener

The WNBA released its 2020 schedule on Monday with the season set to tip off on Saturday, September 25th at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. The league is starting off with a bang, featuring two of the highest profile players in the league on ESPN. 2018 MVP Breanna Stewart and the Seattle Storm will tip things off against No. 1 overall draft pick Sabrina Ionescu and the New York Liberty. The game tips at noon ET on ESPN.

The opening day will feature a triple-header. Following the Storm-Liberty contest, the Los Angeles Sparks will face the Phoenix Mercury and returning Diana Taurasi on ABC at 3 p.m. ET. The even concludes when the Washington Mystics open their title defense against the Indiana Fever at 5 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.

The opening weekend will feature another nationally televised triple-header on Sunday. It opens at noon on ESPN when the Connecticut Sun face the Minnesota Lynx. That’s followed by the Chicago Sky and Las Vegas Aces taking the court at 3 p.m. on ABC, and then the Dallas Wings and Atlanta Dream closing out the day at 5 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.

The schedule will feature three games per day six days a week. Mondays will generally be an off-day, with the exception of August 10th. The 24-game regular season will conclude on September 12th and be followed by a traditional playoffs and Finals format. The Las Vegas Aces and Washington Mystics were among the teams expected to compete for the title, but player opt-outs will shake up the odds in a big way between now and the 25th.

Check out the complete WNBA schedule here.