The WNBA schedule is out including Opening Day for the Liberty, the defending champs!
The parades are over, both the trip down the Canyon of Heroes to celebrate the WNBA title and the one down Broadway on Thanksgiving. Now, all that’s left is raising the first championship banner at Barclays Center … and it looks like we have a date now for that.
The New York Liberty will open their defense of the WNBA championship at 3:00 p.m. ET on May 17 at Barclays Center vs. the Las Vegas Aces featuring 2024 MVP A’ja Wilson. Opening Day is the traditional time for championship teams to hoist the banner and hand out the championship rings to everyone.
It’s the highlight of the 40-game season for the Libs, the WNBA CHAMPS!
Some highlights of the Liberty schedule released Monday following the opener…
- Tuesday, May 27, the expansion Golden State Valkyries will make their first foray into New York.
- June 1 – 17, The WNBA Commissioner’s Cup opening round.
- Tuesday, June 10, Angela Reese and the Chicago Sky are on hand in Brooklyn.
- Tuesday, July 1, the Commissioner’s Cup title game. Each player on the winning team will get $5,000 in crypto. Coinbase sponsors the Commissioner’s Cup
- Tuesday, July 8, the Las Vegas Aces and Wilson will be back in New York.
- Wednesday, July 16, Caitlin Clark will bring her Indiana Fever to Barclays.
- Tuesday, July 25, Clark and the Fever will be back.
- Tuesday, August 5, the Dallas Wings, featuring likely overall No 1 Draft pick Paige Beuckers of UConn, comes to Barclays.
- Sunday, August 10, it will be the first of three rapid Finals rematches vs. the Minnesota Lynx.
- Saturday, August 16, the Liberty will return the favor and visit Minneapolis and the Lynx.
- Tuesday, August 19, will see the Lynx battle the Liberty for a third time in nine days, this time at Barclays.
- Thursday, August 22, the Chicago Sky and their superstar Angela Reesw will be in Brooklyn.
- Thursday, September 11, the season ends with another match vs. the Sky and Reese at Barclays.
The Liberty roster will likely get a bit of a remake this week. On Friday, the WNBA expansion draft takes place. Like the W’s 12 teams, New York will get to protect six players on their roster from the Valkyries, but the new franchise can’t pick more than one player from any of the teams.