The WNBA tips off Friday with a multitude of games airing on national television and streaming platforms this season.
But one harrowing story will loom over the league in its 26th season — that of WNBA superstar Brittney Griner, who has been jailed in Russia since February.
The U.S. State Department confirmed to USA TODAY Sports on Tuesday that it has reclassified the Phoenix Mercury star as being “wrongfully detained” by the Russian government. The seven-time WNBA All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medalist is scheduled to have a hearing on May 19 following February’s arrest when the Russian Federal Customs Service said they found cannabis oil cartridges in her carry-on luggage.
The WNBA affirmed its continued support of Griner; it will pay her full salary for the 2022 season and display her initials and jersey number on the sideline of every arena.
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The league will also welcome back former star Becky Hammon, who takes over as head coach of the Las Vegas Aces. Hammon is a six-time WNBA All-Star who has spent nearly eight years as an assistant coach for the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs.
As Hammon returns, two of the WNBA’s biggest stars could be having farewell seasons. Minnesota Lynx star and four-time Olympian Sylvia Fowles, the WNBA’s all-time leading rebounder, said she will retire after this season. And Sue Bird, the league’s all-time assist leader, said all signs are pointing toward this season being her last with the Seattle Storm.
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The 36-game regular-season schedule begins with eight of 12 teams in action on Friday, including the reigning champion Chicago Sky, who will host All-Star Game later this summer.
National TV and streaming schedule for 2022 WNBA season
(All times p.m. and ET unless noted):
Friday, May 6
Indiana Fever at Washington Mystics, 7 (Facebook)
Los Angeles Sparks at Chicago Sky, 8 (NBA TV)
Las Vegas Aces at Phoenix Mercury, 10 (NBA TV)
Minnesota Lynx at Seattle Storm, 10 (Twitter)
Saturday, May 7
Connecticut Sun at New York Liberty, 6 (ESPN)
Atlanta Dream at Dallas Wings, 8 (CBS Sports Network)
Sunday, May 8
Los Angeles Sparks at Indiana Fever, 3 (Amazon Prime)
Washington Mystics at Minnesota Lynx, 8 (ESPN2)
Seattle Storm at Las Vegas Aces, 10 (ESPN2)
Tuesday, May 10
Las Vegas Aces at Washington Mystics, 7 (Facebook)
Wednesday, May 11
New York Liberty at Chicago Sky, 8 (CBS Sports Network)
Seattle Storm at Phoenix Mercury, 10 (Amazon Prime)
Friday, May 13
Indiana Fever at New York Liberty, 8 (Twitter)
Saturday, May 14
Phoenix Mercury at Seattle Storm, 3 (ABC)
Los Angeles Sparks at Connecticut Sun, 7 (Facebook)
Chicago Sky at Minnesota Lynx, 8 (NBA TV)
Sunday, May 15
Atlanta Dream at Indiana Fever, 3 (Amazon Prime)
Tuesday, May 17
Washington Mystics at Dallas Wings, 8 (CBS Sports Network)
Phoenix Mercury at Las Vegas Aces, 10 (CBS Sports Network)
Wednesday, May 18
Chicago Sky at Seattle Storm, 10 (Facebook)
Friday, May 20
Washington Mystics at Atlanta Dream, 7:30 (Twitter)
Saturday, May 21
Phoenix Mercury at Las Vegas Aces, 3 (ABC)
Sunday, May 22
Connecticut Sun at Indiana Fever, 2 (ESPN3)
Chicago Sky at Washington Mystics, 3 (ABC)
Monday, May 23
Los Angeles Sparks at Las Vegas Aces, 10 (Facebook)
Wednesday, May 25
Phoenix Mercury at Los Angeles Sparks, 10:30 (Amazon Prime)
Friday, May 27
Los Angeles Sparks at Indiana Fever, 7 (Twitter)
Saturday, May 28
Las Vegas Aces at Chicago Sky, 3 (ABC)
Washington Mystics at Connecticut Sun, 7 (Facebook)
Sunday, May 29
Phoenix Mercury at Atlanta Dream, Noon (CBS)
Los Angeles Sparks at Minnesota Lynx, 7 (Amazon Prime)
Tuesday, May 31
Washington Mystics at Indiana Fever, 7 (ESPN3)
Phoenix Mercury at Chicago Sky, 8 (ESPN2)
Connecticut Sun at Las Vegas Aces, 10 (ESPN2)
Dallas Wings at Los Angeles Sparks, 10:30 (ESPN3)
Wednesday, June 1
Indiana Fever at New York Liberty, 7 (CBS Sports Network)
Thursday, June 2
Connecticut Sun at Las Vegas Aces, 10 (Facebook)
Friday, June 3
New York Liberty at Washington Mystics, 7 (Twitter)
Connecticut Sun at Phoenix Mercury, 10 (CBS Sports Network)
Sunday, June 5
Washington Mystics at Chicago Sky, 6 (Amazon Prime)
Tuesday, June 7
Minnesota Lynx at New York Liberty, 8 (CBS Sports Network)
Atlanta Dream at Seattle Storm, 10 (CBS Sports Network)
Wednesday, June 8
Chicago Sky at Washington Mystics, 8 (CBS Sports Network)
Friday, June 10
Chicago Sky at Connecticut Sun, 7 (Twitter)
Seattle Storm at Dallas Wings, 8 (CBS Sports Network)
Atlanta Dream at Phoenix Mercury, 10 (CBS Sports Network)
Saturday, June 11
Las Vegas Aces at Los Angeles Sparks, 9 (Facebook)
Sunday, June 12
Chicago Sky at New York Liberty, 2 (Amazon Prime)
Tuesday, June 14
Phoenix Mercury at Washington Mystics, 7 (ESPN2)
Seattle Storm at Minnesota Lynx, 9 (ESPN2)
Friday, June 17
Seattle Storm at Connecticut Sun, 7 (CBS Sports Network)
Phoenix Mercury at Dallas Wings, 8 (Twitter)
Atlanta Dream at Chicago Sky, 8 (Facebook)
Sunday, June 19
Seattle Storm at New York Liberty, Noon (ESPN)
Connecticut Sun at Washington Mystics, 2 (CBS)
Los Angeles Sparks at Dallas Wings, 4 (Amazon Prime)
Minnesota Lynx at Las Vegas Aces, 6 (CBS Sports Network)
Tuesday, June 21
Dallas Wings at Atlanta Drwam, 7 (NBA TV)
Chicago Sky at Las Vegas Aces, 10 (CBS Sports Network)
Minnesota Lynx at Phoenix Mercury, 10 (NBA TV)
Wednesday, June 22
New York Liberty at Connecticut Sun, 7 (ESPN2)
Thursday, June 23
Indiana Fever at Dallas Wings, 8 (CBS Sports Network)
Phoenix Mercury at Minnesota Lynx, 8 (Facebook)
Washington Mystics at Seattle Storm, 10 (CBS Sports Network)
Chicago Sky at Los Angeles Sparks, 10:30 (Facebook)
Friday, June 24
New York Liberty at Atlanta Dream, 7:30 (CBS Sports Network)
Saturday, June 25
Phoenix Mercury at Dallas Wings, 8 (NBA TV)
Los Angeles Sparks at Seattle Storm, 9 (Facebook)
Washington Mystics at Las Vegas Aces, 10 (NBA TV)
Sunday, June 26
Connecticut Sun at Atlanta Dream, 3 (Amazon Prime)
Minnesota Lynx at Chicago Sky, 6 (CBS Sports Network)
Monday, June 27
Las Vegas Aces at Los Angeles Sparks, 10:30 (NBA TV)
Tuesday, June 28
Atlanta Dream at Washington Mystics, 7 (ESPN3)
Dallas Wings at Minnesota Lynx, 7 (ESPN2)
Wednesday, June 29
Connecticut Sun at Chicago Sky, Noon (NBA TV)
Indiana Fever at Phoenix Mercury, 10 (NBA TV)
Las Vegas Aces at Seattle Storm, 10 (Amazon Prime)
Thursday, June 30
Atlanta Dream at New York Liberty, 7 (Twitter)
Friday, July 1
Los Angeles Sparks at Dallas Wings, 8 (CBS Sports Network)
Las Vegas Aces at Minnesota Lynx, 8 (NBA TV)
Indiana Fever at Seattle Storm, 10 (Facebook)
Saturday, July 2
Phoenix Mercury at Chicago Sky, 1 (ESPN)
Sunday, July 3
Washington Mystics at Connecticut Sun, 1 (ESPN2)
Seattle Storm at Atlanta Dream, 3 (NBA TV)
New York Liberty at Los Angeles Sparks, 6 (CBS Sports Network)
Las Vegas Aces at Minnesota Lynx, 7 (Amazon Prime)
Monday, July 4
Phoenix Mercury at Los Angeles Sparks, 7 (ESPN)
Tuesday, July 5
Seattle Storm at Indiana Fever, 7 (Amazon Prime)
Connecticut Sun at Dallas Wings, 8 (Facebook)
Wednesday, July 6
Chicago Sky at Minnesota Lynx, 1 (NBA TV)
Washington Mystics at Atlanta Dream, 8 (CBS Sports Network)
New York Liberty at Las Vegas Aces, 10 (CBS Sports Network)
Thursday, July 7
New York Liberty at Phoenix Mercury, 10 (Facebook)
Seattle Storm at Los Angeles Sparks, 10:30 (Twitter)
Saturday, July 9
WNBA All-Star skills challenge and 3-point contest, 3 (ESPN)
Sunday, July 10
WNBA All-Star Game at Chicago, 1 (ABC)
Tuesday, July 12
Dallas Wings at Seattle Storm, 3 (Facebook)
Wednesday, July 13
Connecticut Sun at Indiana Fever, Noon (NBA TV)
Thursday, July 14
Las Vegas Aces at New York Liberty 11 a.m. (NBA TV)
Dallas Wings at Minnesota Lynx, 8 (Twitter)
Chicago Sky at Los Angeles Sparks, 10:30 (Facebook)
Friday, July 15
Minnesota Lynx at Indiana Fever, 7 (CBS Sports Network)
Saturday, July 16
Chicago Sky at Dallas Wings, 8 (CBS Sports Network)
Sunday, July 17
Las Vegas Aces at Connecticut Sun, 1 (ABC)
Minnesota Lynx at Washington Mystics, 3 (Facebook)
Atlanta Dream at Phoenix Mercury, 6 (Amazon Prime)
Indiana Fever at Seattle Storm, 6 (CBS Sports Network)
Tuesday, July 19
New York Liberty at Connecticut Sun, 11:30 a.m. (NBA TV)
Atlanta Dream at Las Vegas Aces, 10 (NBA TV)
Indiana Fever at Los Angeles Sparks, 10:30 (CBS Sports Network)
Wednesday, July 20
Seattle Storm at Chicago Sky, Noon (NBA TV)
Thursday, July 21
New York Liberty at Washington Mystics, 11:30 AM (NBA TV)
Atlanta Dream at Los Angeles Sparks, 3:30 (NBA TV)
Indiana Fever at Las Vegas Aces, 10 (NBA TV)
Friday, July 22
Connecticut Sun at Minnesota Lynx, 8 (NBA TV)
Dallas Wings at Chicago Sky, 8 (CBS Sports Network)
Seattle Storm at Phoenix Mercury, 10 (NBA TV)
Saturday, July 23
Chicago Sky at New York Liberty, 7 (NBA TV)
Los Angeles Sparks at Las Vegas Aces, 10 (NBA TV)
Sunday, July 24
Dallas Wings at Indiana Fever, 3 (NBA TV)
Atlanta Dream at Seattle Storm, 6 (NBA TV)
Connecticut Sun at Minnesota Lynx, 7 (Amazon Prime)
Thursday, July 28
Minnesota Lynx at Atlanta Dream, 7 (Twitter)
Seattle Storm at Connecticut Sun, 7 (NBA TV)
Washington Mystics at Dallas Wings, 8 (CBS Sports Network)
Los Angeles Sparks at Phoenix Mercury, 10 (CBS Sports Network)
Friday, July 29
Las Vegas Aces at Indiana Fever, 7 (NBA TV)
New York Liberty at Chicago Sky, 8 (CBS Sports Network)
Saturday, July 30
Seattle Storm at Washington Mystics, 12 (ESPN)
Dallas Wings at Atlanta Dream, 7:30 (NBA TV)
Sunday, July 31
Chicago Sky at Connecticut Sun, 1 (NBA TV)
Phoenix Mercury at New York Liberty, 2 (CBS Sports Network)
Las Vegas Aces at Indiana Fever, 3 (NBA TV)
Seattle Storm at Washington Mystics, 3 (Amazon Prime)
Minnesota Lynx at Los Angeles Sparks, 7 (NBA TV)
Tuesday, Aug. 2
Phoenix Mercury at Connecticut Sun, 7 (NBA TV)
Los Angeles Sparks at New York Liberty, 7 (CBS Sports Network)
Las Vegas Aces at Washington Mystics, 7 (Facebook)
Dallas Wings at Chicago Sky, 9 (CBS Sports Network)
Wednesday, Aug. 3
Indiana Fever at Atlanta Dream, 7 (NBA TV)
Los Angeles Sparks at New York Liberty, 7 (CBS Sports Network)
Minnesota Lynx at Seattle Storm, 10 (NBA TV)
Thursday, Aug. 4
Phoenix Mercury at Connecticut Sun, 7 (ESPN2)
Las Vegas Aces at Dallas Wings, 8 (ESPN3)
Friday, Aug. 5
Los Angeles Sparks at Atlanta Dream, 7:30 (CBS Sports Network)
Washington Mystics at Chicago Sky, 8 (NBA TV)
Saturday, Aug. 6
Indiana Fever at Dallas Wings, 8 (NBA TV)
New York Liberty at Phoenix Mercury, 10 (NBA TV)
Sunday, Aug. 7
Connecticut Sun at Chicago Sky, 1 (ABC)
Los Angeles Sparks at Washington Mystics, 3 (ESPN3)
Las Vegas Aces at Seattle Storm, 3 (ABC)
Atlanta Dream at Minnesota Lynx, 7 (Amazon Prime)
Monday, Aug. 8
New York Liberty at Dallas Wings, 8 (NBA TV)
Tuesday, Aug. 9
Seattle Storm at Chicago Sky, 8 (NBA TV)
Atlanta Dream at Las Vegas Aces, 10 (CBS Sports Network)
Connecticut Sun at Los Angeles Sparks, 10:30 (NBA TV)
Wednesday, Aug. 10
Minnesota Lynx at Phoenix Mercury, 10 (CBS Sports Network)
Thursday, Aug. 11
Chicago Sky at Las Vegas Aces, 10 (NBA TV)
Connecticut Sun at Los Angeles Sparks, 10:30 (Twitter)
Friday, Aug. 12
Washington Mystics at Indiana Fever, 7 (Facebook)
New York Liberty at Atlanta Dream, 7:30 (CBS Sports Network)
Seattle Storm at Minnesota Lynx, 8 (NBA TV)
Dallas Wings at Phoenix Mercury, 10 (NBA TV)
Sunday, Aug. 14
Minnesota Lynx at Connecticut Sun, 1 (ABC)
Atlanta Dream at New York Liberty, 2 (ESPN3)
Indiana Fever at Washington Mystics, 3 (ESPN3)
Chicago Sky at Phoenix Mercury, 3 (ABC)
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