The New York Liberty today announced its 2017 WNBA regular season schedule, which will tip off at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, May 13, when the Liberty hosts the San Antonio Stars at 3:00 p.m.
The Liberty, which finished 2016 with a 21-13 overall record and a second-straight WNBA Playoff berth, will once again be led by All-WNBA 1st Team selection and Queens native Tina Charles. Charles, who will be entering her fourth season with New York, in 2016 became just the 3rd player in WNBA history to lead the league in scoring (21.5 ppg) and rebounding (9.9 rpg) in the same season.
Three-time WNBA Champion and two-time WNBA Coach of the Year Bill Laimbeer returns for this 5th season on the sidelines in New York. Last year, Laimbeer surpassed 200-career victories, becoming just the 7th coach in league history to reach the milestone. Over the past two seasons, Laimbeer has guided New York to a combined record of 44-24 (.647).
“After successfully celebrating our historic 20th season in the WNBA and posting the best record in the Eastern Conference for the second year in a row, our team is eager to return to the floor and compete for our amazing fans at Madison Square Garden,” Team President Isiah Thomas said.
2017 SCHEDULE
| MAY | ||
| Sat. 13 | SAN ANTONIO | 3:00 PM |
| Thu. 18 | MINNESOTA | 7:00 PM |
| Tue. 23 | at Phoenix | 7:00 PM |
| Fri. 26 | at Seattle | 7:00 PM |
| Tue. 30 | LOS ANGELES (ESPN2) | 7:00 PM |
| JUNE | ||
| Fri. 2 | DALLAS | 7:30 PM |
| Sun. 4 | PHOENIX | 3:00 PM |
| Wed. 7 | ATLANTA | 11:00 AM |
| Sun. 11 | SEATTLE | 3:00 PM |
| Wed. 14 | at Connecticut | 7:00 PM |
| Fri. 16 | at Dallas | 7:00 PM |
| Fri. 23 | CONNECTICUT | 7:30 PM |
| Thu. 29 | at Washington | 7:00 PM |
| JULY | ||
| Sun. 2 | at Atlanta | 6:00 PM |
| Thu. 6 | at Seattle | 7:00 PM |
| Sun. 9 | at Phoenix | 3:00 PM |
| Fri. 14 | CHICAGO | 7:30 PM |
| Sun. 16 | WASHINGTON | 3:00 PM |
| Wed. 19 | CONNECTICUT | 11:00 AM |
| Tue. 25 | at Minnesota | 7:00 PM |
| Fri. 28 | at Indiana | 7:00 PM |
| Sun. 30 | at Chicago | 5:00 PM |
| AUGUST | ||
| Tue. 1 | at San Antonio | 7:00 PM |
| Fri. 4 | at Los Angeles | 7:30 PM |
| Tue. 8 | INDIANA | 7:00 PM |
| Fri. 11 | at Atlanta | 7:30 PM |
| Sun. 13 | LOS ANGELES | 3:00 PM |
| Fri. 18 | at Connecticut | 7:00 PM |
| Sun. 20 | MINNESOTA | 3:00 PM |
| Wed. 23 | at Indiana | 7:00 PM |
| Fri. 25 | WASHINGTON | 7:30 PM |
| Sun. 27 | CHICAGO | 3:00 PM |
| SEPTEMBER | ||
| Fri. 1 | SAN ANTONIO | 7:30 PM |
| Sun. 3 | at Dallas | 3:00 PM |
“The 2017 schedule will once again see the Liberty match up against the best players in the world, as we hope to provide our fans with new unforgettable memories at The Garden, and showcase our incredible league at the World’s Most Famous Arena.”
The WNBA’s balanced schedule will result in six teams making a pair of trips to New York to battle the Liberty at The Garden, including the defending WNBA Champion Los Angeles Sparks, Minnesota Lynx, Chicago Sky, Connecticut Sun, Washington Mystics, and Stars; the Liberty will face the Sun four times, twice at home and two times at Mohegan Sun Arena.
New York will play five of its first seven games on The Garden floor. Following the season opener on May 13, the Liberty hosts the Lynx on Thursday, May 18, at 7 p.m. After a two-game road trip to Phoenix (May 23) and Seattle (May 26), the Liberty closes out the month at home against the defending champion Sparks on Tuesday, May 30, at 7 p.m.
New York will then host the Dallas Wings on Friday, June 2, at 7:30 p.m., and the Phoenix Mercury on Sunday, June 4, at 3 p.m. The Liberty’s annual School Day game will be against the Atlanta Dream on Wednesday, June 7, at 11 a.m., and New York closes out the home stand with the Seattle Storm on Sunday, June 11, at 3 p.m. Camp Day will be held Wednesday, July 19, against the Sun at 11 a.m.
The Liberty’s home finale will be against the Stars on Friday, Sept. 1, at 7:30 p.m., and the regular season concludes at Dallas on Sunday, Sept. 3, at 3:30 PM (CT).
The WNBA Playoff format will once again see the top eight teams in the league, regardless of conference affiliation, qualify for the postseason. The teams with the best two records will receive an automatic bye into the best-of-5 WNBA Semifinals.
2017 New York Liberty Loyal season ticket packages starting at just $360 are on sale now, and include premium benefits, an enhanced in-arena experience at Madison Square Garden, and access to exclusive events featuring Liberty players and coaches. Liberty Loyal season ticket memberships are available by calling 212-465-6080 or visiting NYLiberty.com.