WNBA’s shortened 32-game season tips off May 14 - Chicago Sun-Times

The WNBA announced its 25th season will tip off Friday, May 14, with a full weekend of games featuring all 12 teams.

The Sky’s season opener May 15 will feature of battle between two-time WNBA most valuable players Candace Parker and Elena Delle Donne. Parker will make her Sky debut on the road against Delle Donne and the Mystics at noon Central time.

The Sky are 2-10 against the Mystics since trading Delle Donne to them in February 2017. The teams split their games last season, with the Mystics playing without Delle Donne in the WNBA bubble in Bradenton, Florida.

After their season opener, the Sky will visit the Dream on May 19 before returning to Chicago for their home opener against the Liberty at noon May 23. It’s unclear at this point whether fans will be in attendance for the home opener.

‘‘The Chicago Sky continues to work with the league, city and state officials on evaluating conditions to determine if there is a timeline that would allow for fans this season,’’ the Sky said in a statement.

Opening night will feature four games, with Sabrina Ionescu and the Liberty tipping off the season against the Fever in New York. Other first-night matchups will pit the Sun at the Dream; the Mercury at the Lynx, who feature the last two WNBA rookies of the year in Napheesa Collier (2019) and Crystal Dangerfield (2020); and the Wings and reigning WNBA scoring champion Arike Ogunbowale visiting the Sparks.

One of the Sky’s most anticipated matchups will come in the third week of the season, when they host Parker’s former Sparks team for a two-game series May 28 and May 30.

A week later, on June 5, Parker and the Sky will fly to Los Angeles for Parker’s first game there as a member of the visiting team.

The league also announced the regular season will be cut from 36 games to 32 because of the coronavirus pandemic and the Olympic break. Each team will play 16 games at home and 16 on the road.

Breaking it down further, teams will play three games apiece against 10 opponents and two against one team from the other conference.

The Sky’s regular season concludes with a home game against the Fever on Sept. 19.

The full TV schedule will be released in the coming weeks.

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