Starting Lineup: NBC Sports WNBA Campaign Unites A’ja, Sabrina, Betty White
Monday, May 4, 2026 at 01:15PM By Barry Janoff
May 4, 2026: NBC Sports is supporting its coverage of the WNBA for the first time since 2002 with a multi-media campaign that merges league stars with NBC stars past and present.
A’ja Wilson, Sabrina Ionescu and Paige Bueckers headline the new marketing effort celebrating the WNBA’s return to NBC Sports, who in the humorous anchor spot are taken on a guided tour of NBC Studios by Saturday Night Live cast member Chloe Fineman.
“Welcome to your first day of work at NBC,” Fineman says to Wilson (Las Vegas Aces), Ionescu (New York Liberty) and Bueckers (Dallas Wings),who are dressed in their WNBA team uniforms.
Bueckers pauses in front of a photo of Law & Order: SVU’s Mariska Hargitay, saying “It’s hrd to believe she was a rookie once, too.”
Wilson stands before an image honoring women of Saturday Night Live, including Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. Says Wilson, “These ladies changed the game. Kind of like somebody else I know," pointing to herself.
Ionescu admires a photo of Betty White. “Talk about a Hall of Fame career,” says Ionesvu.
.
Seeking to get in on the action, Fineman is seen hanging a picture of herself on the Hall of Fame wall. “A girl can dream,” she says.
“This feature is about honoring legacy while putting today’s WNBA stars squarely in the spotlight,” Lyndsay Signor, svp-sports marketing, Universal and Television Entertainment Group, said via the media company. “A’ja, Sabrina and Paige represent the excellence, personality and momentum defining the league right now.
“As the WNBA returns to NBC and makes its debut on Peacock and NBCSN, we’re proud to showcase the game at its highest level and to welcome the league back in a way that feels bold, meaningful and unmistakably NBC.”
The schedule for the WNBA’s 30th anniversary season, which begins May 8, represents the start of the league’s new media rights deals, which features the renewal of partnerships with The Walt Disney Company (ABC/ESPN), Amazon Prime Video, CBS Sports/Paramount+, and Scripps (ION); new partners NBCUniversal (NBC/Peacock/NBCSN) and USA Sports (USA Network; and the continuation of distribution of games on NBA TV.
“The WNBA is coming off a landmark season in 2025, one that was defined by incredible basketball and countless memorable performances,” commissioner Cathy Engelbert said via the WNBA.
“With an incredible 2026 draft and so many notable free agency signings and trades now giving way to the start of the season, the WNBA’s unprecedented lineup of linear and streaming partners will shine a light on must-see matchups, and the remarkable skills the WNBA’s stars provide each time they step on the court.”
In July 2024, NBCUniversal and the WNBA announced an 11-year media rights agreement, beginning with the 2026 season. In 2026, NBCUniversal will present WNBA regular-season games, WNBA Semi-Finals and WNBA Finals, across NBC, Peacock, and NBCSN.
NBC Sports’ 2026 WNBA slate of 22 regular season games begins with the reigning WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces visiting the Atlanta Dream on Sunday, May 17.
In addition to streaming 12 Monday matchups and three weekend games during the regular season, Peacock will stream every game of the WNBA Finals, with each game also telecast on NBC or USA Network.
“The return of the WNBA to NBC Sports for the first time since 2002 is a milestone moment — not only for our platforms, but for the league and its fans,” Rick Cordella, NBC Sports president, said via the network.
“With the WNBA experiencing unprecedented popularity, the 2026 schedule showcases everything that defines the league today: championship‑caliber teams, emerging franchises, compelling rivalries, and the game’s biggest stars on some of the sport’s most prominent stages.”
NBCUniversal’s WNBA schedule this season features five appearances apiece by the defending champion Las Vegas Aces and 2025 WNBA Playoffs semifinalist Indiana Fever. Additionally, the New York Liberty, Atlanta Dream and Dallas Wings each have four games.
NBC Sports said WNBA icon and Basketball Hall of Famers Sue Bird and Cheryl Miller will serve as studio analysts; Maria Taylor and LaChina Robinson as studio hosts; LaChina Robinson and Sarah Kustok as game analysts; and Zora Stephenson, Noah Eagle, and Michael Grady as play-by-play voices.
The 2026 WNBA season begins with a Tip-Off doubleheader on Sunday, May 17, across NBC, Peacock and NBCSN.
All 15 teams will play during opening weekend as part of WNBA Tip-Off 2026 presented by CarMax.
WNBA Details TV Schedule With ESPN, NBC, CBS For 30th Anniversary
Bank Shot; WNBA Teams Valued A Combined $5.55B, Led By Valkyries
Back to Home Page