​It’s time for the women to take center stage in primetime as the WNBA makes its NBC primetime debut this weekend, kicking off a summer filled with compelling matchups before the WNBA Finals wrap the league’s 30th season in October. In a move reminiscent of the men’s February debut, NBC will launch Sunday Night Basketball on Sunday, July 12, with the defending-champion Las Vegas Aces taking on the league’s most anticipated attraction, the Indiana Fever, at 9 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. The game promises star power on both sides, with Las Vegas featuring league MVP A’ja Wilson and All-WNBA guard Jackie Young, while the Fever bring Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston, and Kelsey Mitchell to the floor.
This game will mark the first primetime Sunday regular-season WNBA game on an over-the-air broadcast network. Zora Stephenson will call the action with analyst Sarah Kustok, and Ashley Shah-Ahmadi will report from courtside. On-site studio analysis will come from host Maria Taylor and Hall of Famers Cheryl Miller and Sue Bird, who will join the broadcast in place of their usual NBC Sports headquarters presence in Stamford, Connecticut.
NBC has four Sundays slated in its schedule, with the remaining seven regular-season games distributed across Peacock and NBCSN on Mondays. Looking ahead to 2026, NBC’s WNBA slate will total 22 games, as part of the league’s $2.2 billion, 11-year media rights deal secured in 2024.
The postseason will also be broadcast on NBC, with semifinals and Finals coverage. WNBA Finals Games 1 and 4 will air on NBC and Peacock, while Games 2, 3, 5, 6, and 7 will stream on Peacock, with USA Network also broadcasting Finals games this season.
Among the production team, Miller—an inaugural coach and general manager for the Phoenix Mercury and a Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee—described the role as a dream come true. “I am living the American dream right now,” Miller told USA TODAY Sports. “Women’s basketball is in an incredible place. To see where the game started and where it is today is jaw-dropping.” NBC Sports will preserve the familiar look and feel that fans associate with the Peacock network’s broadcasts, ensuring continuity for viewers.
Betsy Riley, NBC Sports’ WNBA coordinating producer and the network’s Olympics senior vice president and coordinating producer, confirmed that the production will include the same musical elements fans expect from NBA telecasts, with a distinctive WNBA twist. As with Sunday Night Basketball, Grammy-winning artist Lenny Kravitz will deliver the intro theme song, and a remixed version of the theme will be employed to optimize the broadcast’s presentation for today’s audience. The aim is to deliver a high-energy, production-forward experience that honors the league’s growth while retaining the familiar broadcast identity fans recognize and love.