NEW YORK — The WNBA released its schedule on Monday with its usual monthlong break for the Olympics.

There will be no regular season contests from July 18-Aug. 14 because of the Paris Games.

The league’s 28th season will begin May 14 with eight teams in action, including two-time defending champion Las Vegas, which opens against Phoenix. The Aces and New York Liberty, who met in the WNBA Finals last season, will play three times, with the first meeting on June 15.

Teams will once again play 40 games with the regular season ending on Sept. 19. All 12 teams play that day.

“We eagerly anticipate tipping off the 2024 season and building on the success of last season, our most-watched in 21 years and a record-setter for social media engagement, digital consumption, All-Star merchandise sales and sports betting,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said.

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“Free agency and the 2024 WNBA Draft are sure to create excitement, and the new format to the Commissioner’s Cup will provide fans a great opportunity to see the best players in the world compete for bragging rights and prize money early in the season.”

The WNBA changed the format of its in-season tournament with all Commissioner’s Cup games set to be played from June 1-13. The championship game will be on June 25. Teams now will only play the other five teams in their conference once instead of a home-and-home set.

Chicago Sky star Kahleah Copper will be one of the top players in the WNBA contending for a spot on the U.S. roster for Paris.

Copper narrowly missed the cut for the Tokyo roster in 2021, a team that went on to win a seventh consecutive gold medal. She went on to lead the Sky to a first-ever WNBA title that summer, earning Finals MVP as she transformed into a decisive playmaker and leader for the team.

That performance earned the attention of current Team USA coach Cheryl Reeve, who selected Copper for last year’s FIBA World Cup. Copper won a gold medal with the team, averaging 9.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists in six appearances. But she suffered a hip injury in the quarterfinals that sidelined her for the final two games of the tournament.

This summer, Copper wants to make an impact in the most important games of the Olympic tournament. During media access with Team USA in November, Copper said winning an Olympic gold medal topped her to-do list for this season, along with making an all-WNBA team and winning defensive player of the year.

• Seattle has a league-record nine straight games at home from the end of June to July 14. The Storm played eight straight games at home last season.
• Indiana and Los Angeles have the top two picks in the WNBA draft and will play three times, including on May 24.
• The WNBA will have its All-Star Game on July 20 in Phoenix, which will also serve as a send-off for the U.S. Olympic team.
• With a tighter schedule because of the Olympics, many teams have back-to-back contests this year. The league paid for charter flights for those games last season.

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The Chicago Sky will open the 2024 season on the road against Dallas on May 15. The Sky have their home opener on May 25 against the Connecticut Sun at Wintrust Arena. They will play five games during the June Commissioner’s Cup, all against Eastern Conference opponents.

Date, Game, Time (CT)

May 15 at Dallas, 7 p.m.

May 18 at Dallas, 7 p.m.

May 23 at New York, 6 p.m.

May 25 vs. Connecticut, 7 p.m.

May 28 vs. Seattle, 7 p.m.

May 30 vs. Los Angeles, 7 p.m.

June 1 at Indiana, 12 p.m.

June 4 vs. New York, 7 p.m.

June 6 at Washington, 6 p.m.

June 8 vs. Atlanta, 4 p.m.

June 12 vs. Connecticut, 7 p.m.

June 14 at Washington, 6:30 p.m.

June 16 at Indiana, 11 a.m.

June 20 vs. Dallas, 11 a.m.

June 23 vs. Indiana, 5 p.m.

June 27 vs. Las Vegas, 6 p.m.

June 30 vs. Minnesota, 2 p.m.

July 2 at Atlanta, 6:30 p.m.

July 5 at Seattle, 9 p.m.

July 7 at Seattle, 5 p.m.

July 10 vs. Atlanta, 11 a.m.

July 11 at New York, 6 p.m.

July 13 vs. New York, 12 p.m.

July 16 at Las Vegas, 9 p.m.

Aug. 15 vs. Phoenix, 7 p.m.

Aug. 17 at Los Angeles, 4 p.m.

Aug. 18 at Phoenix, 8 p.m.

Aug. 23 at Connecticut, 6:30 p.m.

Aug. 25 vs. Las Vegas, 11 a.m.

Aug. 28 vs. Washington, 7 p.m.

Aug. 30 vs. Indiana, 6:30 p.m.

Sept. 1 at Minnesota, 2 p.m.

Sept. 3 at Las Vegas, 9 p.m.

Sept. 6 vs. Los Angeles, 8:30 p.m.

Sept. 8 vs. Dallas, 5 p.m.

Sept. 11 vs. Washington, 7 p.m.

Sept. 13 at Minnesota, 6:30 p.m.

Sept. 15 vs. Phoenix, 5 p.m.

Sept. 17 at Atlanta, 6:30 p.m.

Sept. 19 at Connecticut, 6 p.m.