Disney Networks will feature a trio of WNBA games – including an ABC Sunday doubleheader – as the league concludes its 2022 regular season this weekend. The schedule features a pair of Minnesota Lynx games as ESPN celebrates the career of legendary player Sylvia Fowles, who is retiring after 15 WNBA seasons.
A two-time WNBA champion and WNBA Finals MVP (2015 and ’17), Fowles was the league’s Most Valuable Player in 2017 and is an eight-time All-Star, among her many accolades.
Fowles’ final regular season home game is Friday, Aug. 12, at Target Center when the Lynx host the Seattle Storm at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2. In addition to Fowles, the matchup will feature the Storm’s retiring legend Sue Bird. Last weekend, ABC’s telecast of Bird’s final home regular season game drew the third-best WNBA regular season audience across all networks since 2012 (762,000 viewers). ESPN also helped celebrate Bird’s 19 WNBA seasons in Seattle by unveiling a “There’s No Place Like Sports” billboard in her honor that will remain up through the 2022 WNBA Finals.
ABC’s Sunday doubleheader (Aug. 14) will feature Fowles and the Lynx at the Connecticut Sun (1 p.m.), followed by Bird and the Storm at the Las Vegas Aces (3 p.m.). Both games will have WNBA Playoff seeding implications.
WNBA Final Regular Season Weekend Games on Disney Networks:
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup | Network |
| Fri, Aug 12 | 9 p.m. | Seattle Storm at Minnesota Lynx
Pam Ward, Rebecca Lobo, Holly Rowe |
ESPN2 |
| Sun, Aug 14 | 1 p.m. | Minnesota Lynx at Connecticut Sun
Ryan Ruocco, Lobo, Ros Gold-Onwude |
ABC |
| 3 p.m. | Seattle Storm at Las Vegas Aces
Ward, LaChina Robinson, Rowe |
ABC |
Beginning Wednesday, Aug. 17, ESPN networks will televise every game of the new expanded WNBA Playoffs – as many as 27 games through the WNBA Finals.
Additional ESPN coverage/tributes to Sylvia Fowles
ESPN platforms will honor Fowles with the following tributes and coverage plans this weekend:
- ESPN’s television spot promoting Sunday’s Lynx-Sun game will feature a Fowles animation, specifically highlighting her final regular season game. (The spot for Sunday’s Storm-Aces game will similarly highlight Bird.)
- ESPN social and digital platforms will highlight Fowles, including a #ThatsaW social execution from espnW
- On Friday, ESPN senior writer Kevin Van Valkenburg will profile Fowles. The WNBA’s all-time leader in rebounds, double-doubles and field goal percentage is poised to fulfill a childhood dream and launch a second career as a mortician.
- ESPN will have live coverage of Fowles’ final regular season games with on-site coverage from women’s basketball writers M.A. Voepel (Friday in Minneapolis) and Alexa Philippou (Sunday in Connecticut).
- Additionally on ESPN.com, Voepel, Philippou and Kevin Pelton made their predictions for all the major WNBA awards. And, at the conclusion of the regular season on Sunday, ESPN.com will immediately preview the first round of the WNBA Playoffs. Before the games continue Aug. 17, ESPN will list the top 25 players in the playoffs and make playoff predictions.
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