WNBA 2023 Season Preview: Aces, Dream, and Rising Contenders

The WNBA is back on center stage, and this time it returns to a league transformed — by a new collective bargaining agreement, by million‑dollar contracts, and by a sense that the balance of power is anything but settled.

At the heart of it all, the Las Vegas Aces. The champions again. The hunted again. And once more, A'ja Wilson stands at the front of the pack, the reigning MVP and the standard every other star measures herself against. Las Vegas isn’t just trying to defend a title; it’s trying to cement a dynasty in a league that refuses to stand still.

Challengers are lining up.

Aces, contenders and a shifting landscape

The Atlanta Dream have made their intentions brutally clear. Thirty wins last season announced them as serious players; trading for Angel Reese this offseason underlined it in bold. Reese’s edge, rebounding, and relentless energy drop into a roster that already knew how to win. Atlanta isn’t quietly building. It’s coming straight at Las Vegas.

New York still looms as a heavyweight, but the Liberty’s push has already hit turbulence. Last year’s run was scarred by injuries, and that theme has returned before the new campaign has even settled. Sabrina Ionescu is already on the sidelines after rolling her ankle in a preseason game against the Connecticut Sun, a jolt for a team built around her playmaking and shot-making. New York can contend, but it must once again navigate the thin line between title chase and treatment table.

Indiana, meanwhile, finally has a clean slate. The Fever spent much of last season without floor general Caitlin Clark, and their offense never truly looked whole. Now, they arrive fully healthy, with Clark back to orchestrate and a fan base expecting something more than patience. In a league that’s getting richer in talent and attention, Indiana has no intention of being a bystander.

Tonight’s slate: statement opportunities everywhere

All of that tension and ambition filters into a packed schedule on Sept. 18, with games scattered across the country and storylines in every time slot. All times Eastern.

The night opens at 7:30 p.m. in Atlanta, where the Dream host the Connecticut Sun, broadcast on WANF - Atlanta News First, NBC Sports Boston, Peachtree Sports Network and Victory + Atlanta. It’s an early look at how Reese fits into a 30‑win core and how Connecticut responds to a league sprinting forward around it.

At the same time, the Indiana Fever visit the Toronto Tempo, live on ion, The Sports Network and CTV Television Network. For Indiana, it’s a chance to show what a fully healthy group with Clark at the controls really looks like. For Toronto, it’s a chance to plant a flag in a market eager for big‑time women’s basketball.

Also tipping at 7:30 p.m., the New York Liberty travel to face the Minnesota Lynx, with coverage on ion. With Ionescu sidelined, New York must improvise on the fly against a Lynx team that rarely gives away anything at home. It’s an early stress test of the Liberty’s depth and adaptability.

The 8 p.m. window brings two more intriguing matchups. In Chicago, the Washington Mystics meet the Sky on Monumental Sports Network and WCIU - The U. Chicago is adjusting to life after the Angel Reese trade, while Washington looks to claw its way back into the contender conversation.

Down in Texas, the Los Angeles Sparks visit the Dallas Wings at 8 p.m., airing on KFAA 29, Spectrum SportsNet and USA Network. Dallas, with its athleticism and firepower, will try to impose its pace on a Sparks side searching for an identity in a league that punishes hesitation.

The late slate belongs to the West — and to the champions.

At 10 p.m., the Phoenix Mercury head north to face the Portland Fire on Arizona's Family Sports and Rose City Sportsnet. Portland, still carving out its place in the league’s hierarchy, gets a measuring stick in a Mercury team that knows what it means to play under pressure and expectation.

Also at 10 p.m., the Golden State Valkyries host that same Portland Fire in another matchup on ion later in the evening, a reminder of how quickly the schedule can test depth, rotations and resilience over the course of a season.

The marquee, though, sits in Seattle. At 10 p.m., the Las Vegas Aces travel to face the Seattle Storm, with coverage on KMCC - The Spot Vegas 34, KUNS - CW Seattle, USA Network and Amazon Prime Video Seattle. Wilson and the champions walk into one of the league’s loudest environments, against a Storm team eager to knock them off rhythm and off their throne, if only for a night.

Across the board, fans can follow WNBA games all season long through streaming platforms such as Fubo and keep track of every score and result as this new era takes shape.

A league with million‑dollar players, a fresh labor deal and a swelling spotlight now hands the ball back to its stars. The question isn’t whether the Aces can be caught. It’s who, on nights like this, truly believes they can be the ones to do it.