The WNBA and Ion TV are partnering up this season to bring fans a new feature, the "Friday Night Spotlight."
Throughout the league's 27th season, Ion TV will broadcast a handful of key WNBA games nationally, beginning Friday, May 26 when the Mystics take on the Sky and the Wings take on the Storm.
The deal will bring a new level of growth to the league that's been pushing for expansion in recent years through what's famously known as appointment viewing. This is what other leagues have been doing, including NBA Thursdays on TNT and NFL Sundays on NBC.
MORE: WNBA's new TV deal, explained
Here's everything you need to know about the WNBA on Ion TV, a new weekly fixture going into the league's second quarter century.
What channel is Ion TV?
There are dozens of markets that carry Ion TV on cable. Below are some of the biggest, and the complete list can be found here:
| Market | Affiliate Station | Channel |
| Atlanta, Ga. | WPXA-TV | 14 |
| Boston, Mass. | WDPX-TV | 58 |
| WBPX-TV | 68 | |
| WPXG-TV | 21 | |
| Chicago, Ill. | WCPX-TV | 38 |
| Dallas, Texas | KPXD-TV | 68 |
| Houston, Texas | KPXB-TV | 49 |
| Jacksonville, Fla. | WPXC-TV | 21 |
| Knoxville, Tenn. | WPXK-TV | 54 |
| Las Vegas, N.V. | KMCC(TV) | 34 |
| Los Angeles, Calif. | KPXN-TV | 30 |
| KILM(TV) | 64 | |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale, Fla. | WPXM-TV | 35 |
| Milwaukee, Wis. | WPXE-TV | 55 |
| Minneapolis-St. Pail, Minn. | KPXM-TV | 41 |
| Nashville, Tenn. | WNPX-TV | 28 |
| New Orleans, La. | WPXL-TV | 49 |
| New York, N.Y. | WPXN-TV | 31 |
| Orlando-Daytona Beach-Melbourne, Fla. | ||
| Philadelphia, Penn. | WPPX-TV | 61 |
| Pittsburgh, Penn. | WINP-TV | 16 |
| Salt Lake City, Utah | KUPX-TV | 16 |
| San Antonio, Texas | KPXL-TV | 26 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, Calif. | KKPX-TV | 65 |
| Seattle-Tacoma, Wash. | KWPX-TV | 33 |
| St. Louis, Miss. | WRBU(TV) | 46 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg, Fla. | WXPX-TV | 66 |
| Washington, D.C. | WPXW-TV | 66 |
| WWPX-TV | 60 |
In addition, you can go to the platform's official website to find your local providers and their channels based on your zip code.
How to live stream WNBA on Ion TV for free without cable
If you're a household that's gone cord free in recent years, there's still a variety of options that will allow you to access Ion TV and the WNBA's Friday night spotlight games live, including Fubo, which is offering a free seven-day trial for new subscribers.
| Streaming option | Cable subscription needed? | Free? | Cost | Free trial? |
| Fubo | No | No | $74.99/month | Yes |
| Hulu + Live TV | No | No | $69.99/month | Yes |
| DirecTV Stream | No | No | $74.99/month | Yes |
| YouTube TV | No | No | $72.99/month | Yes |
MORE: Watch Ion TV's WNBA Friday night games on Fubo (free trial included)
WNBA on Ion TV national schedule
Ion TV will air 44 games, courtesy of the new deal between the broadcaster and the league. The WNBA is the first professional league to air on this platform, and their "Friday Night Spotlight" will allow fans a chance to sit down on the couch and catch a game or two at the end of every week.
MORE: WNBA national TV schedule 2023
Here is their slate:
| Date | Matchup | Time (ET) |
| May 26 | Washington Mystics at Chicago Sky | 8 p.m. |
| Dallas Wings at Seattle Storm | 10 p.m. | |
| June 2 | Dallas Wings at Washington Mystics | 7 p.m. |
| Las Vegas Aces at Atlanta Dream | 7:30 p.m. | |
| New York Liberty at Chicago Sky | 6 p.m. | |
| Los Angeles Sparks at Phoenix Mercury | 10 p.m. | |
| June 9 | New York Liberty at Atlanta Dream | 7:30 p.m. |
| Phoenix Mercury at Dallas Wings | 8 p.m. | |
| Indiana Fever at Minnesota Lynx | 8 p.m. | |
| Chicago Sky at Los Angeles Sparks | 10 p.m. | |
| Washington Mystics at Seattle Storm | 10 p.m. | |
| June 16 | Phoenix Mercury at Washington Mystics | 7 p.m. |
| Minnesota Lynx at Los Angeles Sparks | 10 p.m. | |
| June 23 | New York Liberty at Atlanta Dream | 7: 30 p.m. |
| Dallas Wings at Los Angeles Sparks | 10 p.m. | |
| June 30 | Washington Mystics at Atlanta Dream | 7:30 p.m. |
| Los Angeles Sparks at Chicago Sky | 8 p.m. | |
| July 7 | Indiana Fever at Washington Mystics | 7 p.m. |
| Atlanta Dream at Chicago Sky | 8 p.m. | |
| Las Vegas Aces at Dallas Wings | 8 p.m. | |
| Phoenix Mercury at Minnesota Lynx | 8 p.m. | |
| July 21 | New York Liberty at Washington Mystics | 7 p.m. |
| July 28 | Seattle Storm at Chicago Sky | 8 p.m. |
| Washington Mystics at Dallas Wings | 8 p.m. | |
| Aug. 4 | Connecticut Sun at Indiana Fever | 7 p.m. |
| Los Angeles Sparks at Washington Mystics | 7 p.m. | |
| Chicago Sky at Dallas Wings | 8 p.m. | |
| New York Liberty at Minnesota Lynx | 8 p.m. | |
| Aug. 11 | Chicago Sky at New York Liberty | 7:30 p.m. |
| Washington Mystics at Las Vegas Aces | 10 p.m. | |
| Aug. 18 | Dallas Wings at Connecticut Sun | 7 p.m. |
| Washington Mystics at Indiana Fever | 7 p.m. | |
| Chicago Sky at Atlanta Dream | 7:30 p.m. | |
| New York Liberty at Phoenix Mercury | 10 p.m. | |
| Minnesota Lynx at Seattle Storm | 10 p.m. | |
| Aug. 25 | Los Angeles Sparks at Atlanta Dream | 7:30 p.m. |
| Sept. 1 | Dallas Wings at Indiana Fever | 7 p.m. |
| Connecticut Sun at New York Liberty | 7:30 p.m. | |
| Atlanta Dream at Minnesota Lynx | 8 p.m. | |
| Sept. 8 | Indiana Fever at Connecticut Sun | 7 p.m. |
| Atlanta Dream at Washington Mystics | 7 p.m. | |
| Minnesota Lynx at Chicago Sky | 8 p.m. | |
| Seattle Storm at Dallas Wings | 8 p.m. | |
| Las Vegas Aces at Phoenix Mercury | 10 p.m. |
When does the WNBA on Ion TV start?
- Date: Friday, May 26
- Time: 8 p.m. ET | 7 p.m. CT
The WNBA officially kicked off its opening weekend with high-pressure games, including Brittney Griner's return to the Phoenix Mercury and the Seattle Storm's first debut without their rockstars Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart.
"Friday Night Spotlight" with Ion TV will begin on Friday, May 26 when the Washington Mystics travel to the Chicago Sky. There will be a second game as the Seattle Storm hosts the Dallas Wings.
Both games on the first Ion TV Friday are Commissioners Cup games.
The WNBA season is playing a record number of games this year, 40 per team with 20 away and 20 home appearances each, and will stretch until Sept. 10.
MORE: The ultimate WNBA guide for the 2023 season