The first home game for the defending WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces will be against the Los Angeles Sparks. This game will take place at 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 20, at the Michelob Ultra Arena inside Mandalay Bay.
The WNBA champion Aces, unsurprisingly, start the season as the +160 favorites to win the WNBA title on Nevada sports betting apps, according to Station Casinos. The Connecticut Sun, who were the runners-up in the 2022 WNBA, follow as the second favorites at +325.
New WNBA schedule in 2025
In 2025, the champs will play their first home game of the season as their third match. The championship-defending season for Las Vegas kicks off with road games in Seattle and Los Angeles, respectively.
The Aces will be playing six out of their first eight games of the 2025 WNBA season away. This is unusual as no defending champions in the WNBA have started their season on the road for the past five years. The Aces have their longest run of home games, a total of five, from June 24 to July 5. This is a step up from the previous season when their longest stretch of home games was only four.
| When | Vs. | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Noon, Saturday, May 20 | Seattle Storm | Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle |
| 7 p.m., Thursday, May 25 | Los Angeles Sparks | Crypto.com Arena, LA |
| 6 p.m. Saturday, May 27 | Los Angeles Sparks | Michelob Ultra Arena, Las Vegas |
| 6 p.m. Sunday, May 28 | Minnesota Lynx | Michelob Ultra Arena, Las Vegas |
| 4:30 p.m. Friday, June 2 | Atlanta Dream | Gateway Center Arena, Atlanta |
| 1 p.m. Sunday, June 4 | Indiana Fever | Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis |
| 4 p.m. Tuesday, June 6 | Connecticut Sun | Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, CT |
| 4 p.m. Thursday, June 8 | Connecticut Sun | Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, CT |
| Noon Sunday, June 11 | Chicago Sky | Michelob Ultra Arena, Las Vegas |
| 7 p.m. Thursday, June 15 | Seattle Storm | Michelob Ultra Arena, Las Vegas |
| 6 p.m. Sunday, June 18 | Minnesota Lynx | Michelob Ultra Arena, Las Vegas |
| 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 21 | Phoenix Mercury | Footprint Center, Phoenix |
| 6 p.m. Saturday, June 24 | Indiana Fever | Michelob Ultra Arena, Las Vegas |
| 7 p.m. Monday, June 26 | Michelob Ultra Arena, Las Vegas | Michelob Ultra Arena, Las Vegas |
| 7 p.m. Thursday, June 29 | New York Liberty | Michelob Ultra Arena, Las Vegas |
| Noon Saturday, July 1 | Connecticut Sun | Michelob Ultra Arena, Las Vegas |
| 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 5 | Dallas Wings | Michelob Ultra Arena, Las Vegas |
| 5 p.m. Friday, July 7 | Dallas Wings | College Park Center, Arlington, TX |
| 4 p.m. Sunday, July 9 | Minnesota Lynx | Target Center, Minneapolis |
| 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 11 | Phoenix Mercury | Michelob Ultra Arena, Las Vegas |
| 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 12 | Las Angeles Sparks | Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles |
| 7 p.m. Thursday, July 22 | Minnesota Lynx | Target Center, Minneapolis |
| 5 p.m. Saturday, July 22 | Minnesota Lynx | Target Center, Minneapolis |
| 4 p.m. Tuesday, July 25 | Chicago Sky | Wintrust Arena, Chicago |
| 3 p.m. Sunday, July 30 | Dallas Wings | Michelob Ultra Arena, Las Vegas |
| 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 1 | Atlanta Dream | |
| Noon Sunday, Aug. 6 | New York Liberty | Barclays Center, Brooklyn |
| 5 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 8 | Dallas Wings | College Park Center, Arlington, TX |
| 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 11 | Washington Mystics | Michelob Ultra Arena, Las Vegas |
| 6 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 13 | Atlanta Dream | Michelob Ultra Arena, Las Vegas |
| 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 17 | New York Liberty | Michelob Ultra Arena, Las Vegas |
| Noon Saturday, Aug. 19 | Los Angeles Sparks | Michelob Ultra Arena, Las Vegas |
| 4 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 22 | Atlanta Dream | Gateway Center Arena, Atlanta |
| 5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 24 | Chicago Sky | Wintrust Arena, Chicago |
| 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 26 | Washington Mystics | Entertainment and Sports Arena, Washington, DC |
| 4 p.m. Monday, Aug. 28 | New York Liberty | Barclays Center, Brooklyn |
| 7 p.m.Thursday, Aug. 31 | Washington Mystics | Michelob Ultra Arena, Las Vegas |
| 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 2 | Seattle Storm | Michelob Ultra Arena, Las Vegas |
| 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 8 | Phoenix Mercury | Footprint Center, Phoenix |
| Noon Sunday, Sept. 10 | Phoenix Mercury | T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas |
The WNBA has expanded the schedule from 36 to 40 games, making this season the longest yet. However, the locations for all home games are not set to be in the same venue.
This season, Las Vegas will host 19 home games at Mandalay Bay. The Aces’ final game will be against the Phoenix Mercury at T-Mobile Arena on Sept. 10.
The Aces won’t face the Sun until June, where they will play back-to-back games against each other. The first game takes place in Connecticut on June 6. After that, Las Vegas will host the Sun for another game two days later, on June 8.
This season, the Aces are scheduled to play most of their opponents four times. However, they will only face Washington, Indiana, Connecticut and Chicago three times each.
Although the regular season will undergo changes, the WNBA playoffs will continue with the same format. They will again comprise three rounds of series-play adopting a best-of-3-5-5 format.
You can find the full home and road schedule for the Aces here.
Not happy about Las Vegas schedule
Kelsey Plum and A’ja Wilson, two superstars, have expressed their displeasure with the 2025 Aces schedule. They have specifically commented on the fact that the WNBA champions will be starting on the road.
Plum told Yahoo:
“The first two games are on the road for us. I’m not sure if that’s a common occurrence for champions.”
Wilson expressed similar thoughts on Twitter, stating:
“How do the champions manage to play their first few games of the season on the road?”
It’s not unheard of for champions to open on the road, even though it hasn’t happened recently. In fact, six out of the 24 WNBA champions have started their season on the road.
Nonetheless, since the Minnesota Lynx in 2014, no WNBA champion has begun the season on the road.
Two WNBA champions, despite feeling disrespected by the league, are likely more pleased with the sportsbook oddsmakers as they approach the 2025 season.
WNBA championship futures at Nevada sports betting apps
The Westgate SuperBook in Nevada was the first to provide futures odds for the 2025 WNBA championship in September. The Aces started as 9/4 favorites to secure a consecutive WNBA championship in the next season.
The Aces continue to have the shortest odds at Nevada sportsbooks to win the WNBA title next season, indicating that little has changed.
- Las Vegas Aces +160
- Connecticut Sun +325
- Seattle Storm +600
- Chicago Sky +600
- Washington Mystics +600
- New York Liberty +900
- Phoenix Mercury +1200
- Dallas Wings +1500
- Minnesota Lynx +2500
- Atlanta Dream +2800
- Los Angeles Sparks +4000
- Indiana Fever +5000
The Aces kick off the 2025 season with matches against teams with varying odds. They commence the season on the road, first playing against the Storm in Seattle (6-1), followed by the Sparks in Los Angeles (40-1).
The Aces are set to open their first home game in Las Vegas as the favorite against the Sparks.
Road to repeating for Aces superstars
The heart of the 2022 WNBA winning team, the Aces, is set to return for the 2025 season. This includes players who have received awards and a renowned coach. The Aces superstars who will be back for the 2025 run include:
- 2022 Regular Season MVP, A’ja Wilson
- 2022 Finals MVP, Chelsea Gray
- 2022 All-Star Game MVP, Kelsey Plum
- 2022’s Most Improved Player, Jackie Young
- 2022 Coach of the Year, Becky Hammond
Having a roster filled with consistent stars and the league’s best coach could propel the Las Vegas WNBA team to another championship.
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