LAS VEGAS, May 9, 2026, 12:01 PDT
- Las Vegas kicks off its WNBA title defense facing Phoenix—a repeat of the 2025 Finals matchup.
- T-Mobile Arena hosts the game, with tipoff set for 12:30 p.m. PDT. Coverage will be on ABC and Disney+.
- A’ja Wilson comes into the season as a four-time MVP. Over in Phoenix, it’s Alyssa Thomas, Kahleah Copper, and DeWanna Bonner carrying the load again.
The WNBA season tips off Saturday as the Las Vegas Aces begin their title defense facing the Phoenix Mercury, a matchup that echoes last season’s Finals right out of the gate. Tipoff is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. local at T-Mobile Arena, with coverage on ABC and Disney+.
This goes beyond another banner for Las Vegas. The Aces have their eyes on making 2026 a new chapter, adding to a stretch that already boasts three titles out of the past four years. Phoenix, on the other hand, gets an early look at whether last season’s playoff run was a fluke or a foundation. Ahead of tipoff, the Aces will pick up their 2025 championship rings, according to KTNV.
The matchup comes as the WNBA expands its TV presence in its 30th year. According to AP, the league is set for a record 216 regular-season games and events, airing on several broadcast and streaming outlets. Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said the lineup will highlight “must-see matchups” following what she described as a landmark 2025 season. AP News
Las Vegas rolled past Phoenix in a four-game sweep during the 2025 Finals. Now, the Aces come into the season led by Wilson, who put up 23.4 points, 10.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists last year, Reuters noted. “I like proving people wrong,” Wilson said to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, as quoted by Reuters. Reuters
Wilson’s solo pursuit stands out. According to a Reuters piece on a WNBA GM survey, 60% of MVP votes went to Wilson, and the Aces came in as the top pick for the 2026 championship, just edging out the New York Liberty. In that same poll, GMs also named Wilson both the league’s top leader and the best interior defender.
Phoenix’s response isn’t catching anyone off guard these days; the real question is whether this experienced roster can sustain that playoff intensity for an entire season. Reuters quoted Thomas, who pointed out that the Mercury featured younger players facing their first postseason run in 2025. “I don’t think you can prepare people enough for how hard playoffs is,” she said. Reuters
Availability is the first question mark here. ESPN has Phoenix missing Valeriane Ayayi, Monique Akoa Makani and Sami Whitcomb; Las Vegas is down Janiah Barker and Dana Evans. So the Aces hold an initial depth advantage, though their guards could feel the squeeze against Thomas and Copper if the tempo drags.
Las Vegas entered as a 9.5-point favorite over Phoenix, per ESPN’s game page—odds pointing to the market’s belief that the Aces remain a cut above, even before the regular season tips off. The total landed at 167.5, and ESPN Analytics’ matchup predictor put Las Vegas at a 69% chance to win.
The landscape is shifting. According to Reuters, general managers put the Liberty just behind the Aces in their 2026 title picks. Phoenix, for its part, knocked out top-seeded Minnesota during its 2025 postseason push before reaching the Finals. Dallas, Indiana, and Atlanta show up with younger rosters packed with rising stars, but tonight, it’s those same two squads from last October taking center stage.
Las Vegas is looking to prove that last season’s strong finish wasn’t a fluke. As for Phoenix, a close defeat may still offer reassurance—if Thomas, Copper, and Bonner get real help from the bench. One warning: judging too much from a single May game is always tricky. The banners will hang, sure, but after tipoff, what really counts are rotations, injuries, and who’s got enough left in the tank.
