Aug 8, 2021; Saitama, Japan; United States centre Brittney Griner (15) reacts to a call against Japan in the women's basketball gold medal match during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Summer Games at Saitama Super Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-USA TODAY Sports
Olympics: Basketball-Women Finals – Gold Medal Match
(New York, NY) — The WNBA 27th regular season tips off tonight.
Brittney Griner and the Phoenix Mercury take to the court in Los Angeles against the Sparks in a highly anticipated bout.
A lot of eyes will be on the six-foot-nine former MVP candidate who spent ten months in a Russian prison before being freed in a prisoner swap late last year. Griner was arrested in February 2022 at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport after authorities discovered vape canisters with cannabis oil in her luggage.
The defending champion Las Vegas Aces will not play on opening night, and will instead begin their season on May 20 against the Seattle Storm in a rematch of their thrilling semifinal series.
Four games get the action started Friday night before a total of five more on Saturday and Sunday. The 2023 season will see a whopping 205 live games air on national TV or streaming.