The path for the Indiana Fever’s 2026 campaign is officially set, promising a season of high-profile showdowns, new rivalries and a high-stakes defense of their Commissioner’s Cup title. The WNBA franchise released its full 44-game slate on Jan. 20, headlined by a marquee home opener that could feature a historic convergence of talent.
The Fever will raise the curtain on the season at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on May 9, hosting the Dallas Wings in a 1 p.m. tip-off. The matchup is poised to potentially showcase the last four No. 1 overall WNBA draft picks: Aliyah Boston (2023), Caitlin Clark (2024), Paige Bueckers (2025) and the Wings’ forthcoming top selection in the 2026 draft. This marks the first time the Fever and Wings have met on opening night since Dallas’ inaugural 2016 season.
The 2026 schedule introduces the Fever to the league’s two expansion franchises. Indiana will host the Portland Fire on May 20 and the Toronto Tempo on June 16, making road trips to face each team twice. The WNBA’s return to Portland reconnects with history; an earlier Fire franchise played from 2000 to 2002. Notably, current Fever assistant coach Tully Bevilaqua was a cornerstone of those teams, setting the franchise’s all-time assists record (236).
Fresh off their 2025 Commissioner’s Cup championship, the Fever will begin their title defense during the Cup’s group stage, which runs from June 1-17. Indiana will play six in-season Cup games — one more than last season — against Atlanta (June 4), New York (June 6), Washington (June 8), Chicago (June 11), Connecticut (June 13) and Toronto (June 16), with all results counting toward the regular-season standings.
The schedule is punctuated by high-profile home dates. The Fever will host their 2025 playoff adversary, the Atlanta Dream, on June 4 and June 18. The reigning champion Las Vegas Aces make their only regular season visit to Indianapolis on Aug. 6, a rematch of last season’s intense postseason battle.
Fans will need to mark their calendars early to see regional rival Chicago Sky, who visit Gainbridge Fieldhouse only once for a 7 p.m. game on June 11.
Logistically, the Fever will navigate five multi-game road trips. The most demanding stretches are a four-game swing from July 5-12 and a five-game trek from Aug. 16-23.
Conversely, the team will enjoy two four-game homestands, from May 15-22 and July 15-22, providing extended opportunities to leverage home-court advantage.
Continuing a trend that reflects the Fever’s and the league’s soaring popularity, four of Indiana’s road games have been moved to larger NBA arenas: July 5 at Las Vegas (T-Mobile Arena), Aug. 8 at Chicago (United Center), Aug. 18 at Toronto (Scotiabank Arena), and Aug. 20 at Dallas (American Airlines Center).
This follows eight such venue upgrades in the 2025 season, including the historic first WNBA game at Chicago’s United Center.
The WNBA will pause from Aug. 31-Sept. 16 for the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup.
The Fever will close their regular season on the road against the Minnesota Lynx on Sept. 24, mirroring how the 2025 schedule ended, albeit in Indy.
Additional details, including preseason games, broadcast information and theme night activations can be found online at feverbasketball.com/tickets.
Contact Multimedia Reporter Noral Parham at 317-762-7846 or email at noralp@indyrecorder.com. Follow him on X @3Noral. For more Indiana Fever news, click here.
Noral Parham is the multi-media & senior sports reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder, one of the oldest Black publications in the country. Prior to joining the Recorder, Parham served as the community advocate of the MLK Center in Indianapolis and senior copywriter for an e-commerce and marketing firm in Denver.
