The 2026 WNBA season has officially kicked off, marked by an impressive start for the New York Liberty, who began their championship pursuit with a commanding 31-point victory over the Connecticut Sun. Meanwhile, the Washington Mystics showcased resilience by triumphing over the newly introduced Toronto Tempo in the expansion team’s debut match. Anticipation builds as the Seattle Storm are set to face off against the Golden State Valkyries later in the weekend.
The excitement continues on Saturday with four additional games, highlighted by a much-anticipated clash between the Indiana Fever and Dallas Wings. This matchup is particularly noteworthy as it will feature the last four No. 1 draft picks: Aliyah Boston (2023), Caitlin Clark (2024), Paige Bueckers (2025), and Azzi Fudd (2026).
Final scores, schedule:
- Liberty 106, Sun 75 (Box score)
- Mystics 68, Tempo 65 (Box score)
- Seattle Storm at Golden State Valkyries, 10 p.m. ET
- Dallas Wings at Indiana Fever — Saturday, 1 p.m. ET (ABC)
- Phoenix Mercury at Las Vegas Aces — Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
- Atlanta Dream at Minnesota Lynx — Saturday, 8 p.m. ET (League Pass)
- Chicago Sky at Portland Fire — Saturday, 9 p.m. ET (NBA TV)
- Seattle Storm at Connecticut Sun — Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (League Pass)
- New York Liberty at Washington Mystics — Sunday, 3 p.m. ET (League Pass)
- Las Vegas Aces at Los Angeles Sparks — Sunday, 6 p.m. ET (USA)
- Phoenix Mercury at Golden State Valkyries — Sunday, 8:30 p.m. ET (League Pass)
With the new season now in full swing, let’s delve into the standout performances and setbacks from opening night.
Winner: Breanna Stewart
The previous year was challenging for Breanna Stewart. She faced a series of setbacks, starting with a meniscus surgery on her right knee before the season began. A bone bruise on the same knee sidelined her for a month during the season, and she later suffered an MCL sprain in her left knee during the Liberty’s first-round playoff series against the Phoenix Mercury. These injuries not only cut short the Liberty’s title defense in the opening round but also saw Stewart recording her lowest scoring average since her rookie year, missing out on an All-WNBA team selection for the first time since 2019.
Entering 2026, Stewart was back to full health and eager to return to MVP form under the leadership of new coach Chris DeMarco. Her comeback was swift and striking; she scored on the Liberty’s opening possession and ended the game with an impressive 31 points, 10 rebounds, one steal, and three blocks. Her dominant performance was crucial in New York’s decisive win, achieved even without the presence of key players Sabrina Ionescu and Satou Sabally.
It’s worth noting that Stewart only managed two 30-point games throughout the entirety of last season, including the playoffs, making her opening night performance all the more significant.
Loser: Connecticut’s defense without Leïla Lacan
The Sun are still in the early stages of their rebuild, so it’s no surprise that they lost to the Liberty — the favorite to win the title — on opening night, especially without star guard Leïla Lacan, who is still overseas. But to give up 106 points was extremely discouraging.
The Liberty shot the ball well early, but it’s not as if they made a million 3s (they were 10 of 31). Rather, the Sun were consistently getting beat in transition, had no answer around the basket and fouled relentlessly. The Liberty scored 19 fastbreak points, 42 points in the paint and went 26 of 31 from the free throw line.
Regardless of the opponent, Connecticut’s defense was far too sloppy. They need to clean things up, or their final season in Uncasville before relocating to Houston is going to be even longer than expected. Honestly, you could make Lacan a winner from this game. If this is what the Sun’s defense looks like without her, she should earn Defensive Player of the Year votes from this game alone.
Winner: Canada
Coca-Cola Coliseum was rocking on Friday night, and though the result didn’t go the Toronto Tempo’s way, the expansion team’s first-ever game was a historic moment years in the making. The Tempo, one of two expansion teams that joined the league this season, are the first WNBA team in Canada and the first outside of the United States.
After Marina Mabrey hit a 3-pointer in the middle of the fourth quarter to briefly give the Tempo the lead, the decibel level got up to 105.4 — well above the level at which sustained exposure may result in hearing loss, per Yale University.
Like any expansion team, the Tempo may struggle to win games this season, but Friday night’s opener proved that they’re going to compete and will have plenty of support behind them.
Winner: Sonia Citron
Coming into her rookie season, the general consensus was that Citron, the No. 3 overall pick, had a high floor but a low ceiling. She quickly proved that wrong with an All-Star campaign that saw her lead the league in 3-point percentage (44.2%) and finish as the runner-up to Paige Bueckers for Rookie of the Year.
She picked up right where she left off on Friday during the Mystics’ season-opening win over the Tempo. Citron scored a team-high 26 points — tied for the third-highest scoring performance of her career — on 9 of 12 from the field and 3 of 6 from 3-point range, and chipped in two steals and two blocks. Everyone else on the Mystics combined for 42 points on 16 of 52 shooting and 2 of 18 from behind the arc.
Citron came up clutch, too. Her layup in the middle of the final frame put the Mystics back in front for good after they had blown a nine-point lead, and she followed that up with an and-one. If Friday was any indication, the Mystics are going to rely heavily on Citron this season, and she has the ability to carry their offense.
