With a historic CBA deal signed, the expansion and college drafts in the rearview mirror, a lightning-speed free agency season mostly wrapped up and training camps officially underway, it’s time to officially start the countdown to the WNBA regular-season tipoff on May 8. The WNBA unveiled its national television schedule on Wednesday, which includes a record 20 regular-season games on CBS as part of a new, long-term multiplatform rights agreement between the league and CBS Sports.
WNBA, CBS Sports reach long-term media rights deal: 20 regular-season games to air during 2026 season
Jack Maloney
The WNBA on CBS slate will tip off on Saturday, May 23, with the Minnesota Lynx at Chicago Sky game at 1 p.m. ET, followed by the Los Angeles Sparks at Las Vegas Aces in primetime at 9 p.m. ET. Each game will be preceded by the WNBA Tip-Off-Show, a pregame, halftime and postgame show hosted by Jenny Dell and featuring WNBA Hall of Famer Lisa Leslie and former WNBA star and current Atlanta Dream co-owner Renee Montgomery at the desk. WNBA on CBS’s lead broadcast crew of play-by-play announcer Jordan Kent, analyst Isis Young and sideline reporter Tiffany Blackmon will return.
Every game will air on broadcast television (CBS/Paramount+), as will seven of 10 WNBA Tip-Off Show episodes. Three episodes of the WNBA Tip-Off show will air on CBS Sports HQ.
Seven of the WNBA on CBS games feature the defending champion Aces and four-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson, while four games will feature Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever, including primetime matchups on June 6 and July 18 against the New York Liberty and their four-headed monster of Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, Jonquel Jones and Satou Sabally.
The Dallas Wings and back-to-back No. 1 overall picks of Azzi Fudd and Paige Bueckers will play in three games on CBS, including a June 20 matchup against the Sky.
The 2026 WNBA season tips off on May 8. The 44-game regular season runs through Sept. 24, with a break for the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup from Sept. 1-16.
Here’s a look at the full schedule for CBS’s WNBA broadcasts during the 2026 season:
All times Eastern
Saturday, May 23
- WNBA Tip-Off Show 12:30 PM
- Minnesota Lynx at Chicago Sky, 1 p.m.
- WNBA Tip-Off Show, 7:30 p.m. (CBS Sports HQ)
- Los Angeles Sparks at Las Vegas Aces 8 p.m.
Saturday, May 30
- WNBA Tip-Off Show, 7:30 p.m.
- Indiana Fever at Portland Fire, 8 p.m.
Saturday, June 6
- WNBA Tip-Off Show, 7:30 p.m. (CBS Sports HQ)
- Indiana Fever at New York Liberty, 8 p.m.
Saturday, June 13
- WNBA Tip-Off Show, 7:30 p.m. (CBS Sports HQ)
- Minnesota Lynx at Las Vegas Aces, 8 p.m.
Saturday, June 20
- WNBA Tip-Off Show 7:30 p.m. (CBS Sports HQ)
- Chicago Sky at Dallas Wings, 8 p.m.
Sunday, June 21
- Golden State Valkyries at Las Vegas Aces, 4 p.m.
Saturday, June 27
- Phoenix Mercury at Toronto Tempo, 2 p.m.
- WNBA Tip-Off Show, 7:30 p.m.
- Los Angeles Sparks at Indiana Fever, 8 p.m.
Sunday, June 28
- WNBA Tip-Off Show, 1:30 p.m.
- Minnesota Lynx at Dallas Wings, 2 p.m.
- Las Vegas Aces at Chicago Sky, 4 p.m.
Saturday, July 4
- Golden State Valkyries at Atlanta Dream, 1 p.m.
Saturday, July 11
Saturday, July 18
- WNBA Tip-Off Show 7:30 PM
- New York Liberty at Indiana Fever, 8 p.m.
Sunday, July 19
- Chicago Sky at Atlanta Dream, 4 p.m.
Saturday, August 1
- Las Vegas Aces at Chicago Sky, 1 p.m.
Saturday, August 8
- Las Vegas Aces at Minnesota Lynx, 1 p.m.
Saturday, August 15
- Minnesota Lynx at Las Vegas Aces, 8 p.m.
Saturday, August 29
- Chicago Sky at New York Liberty, 1 p.m.
Saturday, September 19
- Phoenix Mercury at Dallas Wings, 1 p.m.
