The moment many people have been circling on the calendar since the 2026 WNBA Draft is finally here. Caitlin Clark’s regular-season return tips off on Saturday, May 9, when the Indiana Fever host the Dallas Wings at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in what is the most anticipated season opener in league history.
Four former No. 1 overall picks on the same floor, two of the biggest names in women’s basketball going head to head, and a matchup that was already sold out months before tip-off.
Where to Watch Fever vs. Wings?
Here is everything you need to know about how to watch the game and where to find it. The game tips off at 1 PM ET on Saturday, May 9, and will be broadcast nationally on ABC. For streaming, it will be available live on Disney+, as well as on ESPN Unlimited for subscribers to that tier.
If you are a cord-cutter, the game can also be accessed through live TV streaming services that carry ABC, including YouTube TV, DirecTV Stream, and FuboTV. WNBA League Pass is another option for those who want to watch through the league’s own platform, though local blackout restrictions may apply depending on your location.
The choice to put this game on ABC is not a coincidence. The WNBA has placed all three Fever-Wings matchups on national platforms for 2026, with this opener on ABC, a second meeting on August 14 on ION, and a third on August 20 on Prime Video.
The Fever will have all 44 of their regular-season games broadcast nationally this season, a first in league history, which tells you everything you need to know about the commercial pull Clark has currently.
On paper, this matchup is as loaded as it gets. Clark is making her first regular-season start since May 2025, coming off a groin injury that cost her 27 games and an entire postseason run.
Paige Bueckers, the 2025 Rookie of the Year, is now running alongside her former UConn teammate and off-court partner, Azzi Fudd, after the Wings used the No. 1 pick in last month’s draft to select her.
Arike Ogunbowale returned to Dallas on a multi-year extension. The Wings are genuinely built to compete, and Indiana, with Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston back alongside Clark, is the team most of the league is pointing to as a championship contender from the East.
Tip-off is at 1 p.m. ET Saturday on ABC and Disney+. It will certainly be interesting to see how Clark and Bueckers fare against each other, especially when the stakes are high.
