What to know about the WNBA's big season-opening slate

Anticipation for the 2024 WNBA season has reached a fever pitch, pun very much intended, and the action finally gets underway on Tuesday, May 14. And whether you are a seasoned follower or newly joining the fanbase, it's great to have some background on this year's season-opener before you dive in.

Here are some things to know about this year's WNBA season opener, from game coverage to Caitlin Clark's debut.

Four-game slate kicks off the season

Suffice it to say, the season-opening slate is an impressive one featuring four must-watch games that will have you channel jumping so you don't miss any of the action. Five of last season's playoff teams will be in action, including a rematch of a 2023 first-round series, and of course the league's newest No. 1 pick will be featured as well.

The season officially gets underway with the New York Liberty taking on the Washington Mystics as they aim to get back to the WNBA Finals. The Mystics are transitioning into a new era and looking to rookie Aaliyah Edwards to lead the charge.

Washington will be tested right out of the gate on Tuesday as it welcomes the team that beat it in the first round of last year's playoffs. And you can bet that 2023 league MVP Breanna Stewart and leading three-point shooter Sabrina Ionescu already have their eyes set on getting back to the WNBA Finals.

Speaking of which...

Reigning champion Aces going for the three-peat

The Las Vegas Aces are a must-watch on Tuesday as they host the Phoenix Mercury. They have most of their stacked roster returning for the 2024 campaign -- save for women's basketball icon Candace Parker, who retired last spring -- and they are coming off of their best season yet as a 34-6 record propelled them to their second straight championship.

No WNBA team has won three consecutive titles since the Houston Comets won four in a row in the league's opening years. Las Vegas defeated Phoenix in back-to-back games to end the 2023 regular season, and will aim to extend that streak on Tuesday as it starts its bid for a three-peat.

Is this team a sleeper to make the Finals?

What about some teams that aren't as expected as the Aces to make it to the WNBA Finals? The Seattle Storm are an underrated pick according to Just Women's Sports, and they have an opportunity to showcase that in a late game on Tuesday against the Minnesota Lynx.

"Rounding out the night is a Seattle team headlined by offseason additions Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins-Smith plus 2024 draft pick, UConn alum Nika Muhl," the site said. "Paired up with team stalwart Jewell Loyd, the powerful arrangement could make for a sneaky sleeper pick for the WNBA Finals."

Seattle last won the WNBA Finals in 2020, defeating the Aces, but they won't get a crack at taking down the reigning champs until June. First up is a pair of games against the Lynx and bouts against Washington and New York before a highly-anticipated standoff at home against the Indiana Fever.

Which brings us to...

Two words: Caitlin Clark

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft is going to be the biggest draw of the evening, and you won't want to miss her highly-anticipated debut against DeWanna Bonner and the host Connecticut Sun on Tuesday.

The excitement over watching Clark in action drove tickets prices for Tuesday's tilt at Mohegan Sun Arena over five times what they normally are. According to WSHU radio, the cheapest ticket for Tuesday's sold out game was $125. 

Clark scored 21 in her preseason debut with three rebounds, two assists and two steals in a loss to the Dallas Wings. She then helped the Fever get a 83-80 victory against the Atlanta Dream where she registered 12 points, eight rebounds and six assists. While her three-point shooting wasn't consistent in these first two games, the hype surrounding the NCAA's all-time points scorer hasn't dwindled.

Tip-off for this game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.