The Los Angeles Sparks host the Las Vegas Aces on Sunday night as the 2026 WNBA season gets under way, with tipoff set for 6 p.m. ET. The game arrives as the league returns with a brand new collective bargaining agreement and a new media rights deal, giving opening night a different backdrop than the one fans saw a year ago.
The Aces come in as the defending champions and are trying to keep a dynasty alive with a fourth title in five years. That puts immediate pressure on a roster that has become the standard in the league, while the Sparks get the first chance to test that level on their home floor.
The opener also puts a spotlight on a rookie class headlined by Dallas Wings top pick Azzi Fudd, Minnesota's Olivia Miles and Washington's Lauren Betts, a group expected to shape the league's next phase. With the 2026 season starting Sunday, the timing matters: every team begins the same day, under the same new rules and the same new television setup.
The central tension is the one that follows every champion, but is sharper here because the Aces are chasing history while the rest of the league starts fresh. Las Vegas has the title, the target and the chance to extend its run immediately. Los Angeles has the stage, the home crowd and the first chance to slow it down.
The times in this preview are accurate as of Sunday, May 10, 2026, at 6:08 a.m. ET. By 6 p.m. ET, the season will already have its first answer.
