The WNBA is back Thursday night with a fresh collective bargaining agreement, a new media rights deal and a season that begins with a late start on the West Coast. The Golden State Valkyries host the Indiana Fever on Thursday, May 28, 2026, with tipoff set for 10 p.m. ET.
The opener arrives as the league tries to turn a busy offseason into momentum on the court. All times are Eastern and were accurate at 6:08 a.m. Thursday, and the 2026 season opens with a rookie class expected to draw immediate attention, led by Dallas Wings top pick Azzi Fudd, Minnesota's Olivia Miles and Washington's Lauren Betts.
That new talent lands in a league where the top of the standings already has a clear target on it. The defending champion Las Vegas Aces are trying to keep their run going and chase a fourth title in five years, a standard that has made every opponent's margin for error feel smaller.
That is why Thursday matters beyond a single game. The new agreement gives the league a reset on labor, the media deal gives it a bigger stage, and the first night of the season gives fans an immediate look at how much the balance of power may have shifted. The Valkyries and Fever are the first test case, but the real story is whether the league's new starting point can carry through the summer.
The tension is already built into the calendar. A league that has changed its business structure is also asking a new rookie class to make an early impact while the Aces try to extend a dynasty that has defined the past several seasons. The opener does not settle any of that. It starts the count.
