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It’s opening week for WNBA: Here’s how to watch former Gamecocks in action

payton titus
·4 min read

The 28th season of the WNBA kicks off Tuesday night, and 10 former South Carolina women’s basketball players made Opening Day rosters.

The Gamecocks have the second-largest alumni contingent in the league this year, behind the 12 UConn Huskies on rosters to start the season.

Here’s everything you need to know about all the former USC hoopers in the WNBA, their teams and how to watch their games:

Gamecocks in the WNBA

Below is an alphabetical list of former Gamecocks on Opening Day rosters:

Key storylines for each team with a South Carolina alum

  • Atlanta Dream: Amihere, Gray and the rest of the Dream are looking to improve on last season’s campaign, which saw Atlanta make the WNBA playoffs for the first time since 2018 but get swept in the first round by the Dallas Wings and end with a sub-.500 record. Gray earned her first All-Star bid in 2023 and over the offseason won MVP in Athletes Unlimited’s third season of professional basketball.

  • Chicago Sky: Cardoso’s WNBA regular season debut with the Sky won’t happen until next month, as she injured her right shoulder in Chicago’s first preseason game against the Minnesota Lynx. But the Sky’s other rookie and former LSU Tiger Angel Reese is good to go under first-year head coach and Hall of Famer Teresa Weatherspoon. This is a new, exciting era of Chicago Sky basketball.

  • Connecticut Sun: Mitchell joins the Sun and its veteran core by way of Minnesota. Harris could contend for a permanent place in Connecticut’s starting lineup, while Mitchell has the potential to lead the second unit. The Sun have appeared in the WNBA Finals five times (2004, 2005, 2019, 2022, 2023) but are still on the hunt for their first title.

  • Indiana Fever: Fresh off Boston’s unanimous Rookie of the Year season, the Fever added No. 1 overall pick and generational college basketball talent Caitlin Clark to the roster. The debut of this talented front court-back court tandem is one of the most anticipated among fans. They look to take Indiana to the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

  • Las Vegas Aces: Wilson and the Aces begin their quest to threepeat as WNBA champions Tuesday at home. The former Gamecock is coming off the best statistical season if her career hungry for a third league MVP award, especially after learning an anonymous voter had her fourth in their poll last year.

  • Los Angeles Sparks: Cooke begins her second season with Los Angeles alongside newcomers Cameron Brink (former Stanford Cardinal and 2024 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year) and Rickea Jackson (former Tennessee Lady Vols standout). The Sparks will be without former WNBA MVP Nneka Ogwumike for the first time since they drafted her in 2012 after she signed with the Seattle Storm this offseason. L.A. and its youth look to make the playoffs for the first time since 2020.

  • Phoenix Mercury: Herbert Harrigan is back in the WNBA for the first time since 2021. She and the rest of the Mercury look to bounce back from finishing last in the league last season. In addition to Herbert Harrigan, Phoenix has added WNBA champions Kahleah Copper and Natasha Cloud to play alongside veterans Diana Taurasi, Brittney Griner and Sophie Cunningham.

WNBA 2024 season opening week schedule

Tuesday, May 14

  • Indiana Fever at Connecticut Sun, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN2 or ESPN+)

  • Phoenix Mercury at Las Vegas Aces, 10 p.m. (ESPN2 or ESPN+)

Wednesday, May 15

  • Chicago Sky at Dallas Wings, 8 p.m. (WNBA League Pass)

  • Atlanta Dream at Los Angeles Sparks, 10 p.m. (WNBA League Pass)

Thursday, May 16

Friday, May 17

Saturday, May 18

  • Indiana Fever at New York Liberty, 1 p.m. (ABC)

  • Los Angeles Sparks at Las Vegas Aces, 3 p.m. (ABC)

  • Chicago Sky at Dallas Wings, 8 p.m. (NBA TV or WNBA League Pass)

  • Atlanta Dream at Phoenix Mercury, 10 p.m. (NBA TV or WNBA League Pass)