Decades ago, two young women stepped onto a court not knowing if their new league would survive. 30 years on, Lisa Leslie and Rebecca Lobo looked back at that same moment. 

On June 21, 2026, a special segment aired during ESPN’s WNBA Countdown Presented by Google Pixel. The clip, which was shared online by the espnW X page.  The program looked back at the first game in league history, which took place 30 years ago.

The emotional side came when the players discussed what that opening night meant for the sport. Rebecca Lobo stated, “There isn’t a Season 30 without a Day 1. And this was the Day 1.” 

Lobo also admitted during the interview that she had never re-watched the entire inaugural game before this reunion. Watching the old tape brought back complicated feelings for the legendary center sitting next to her. Leslie explained that she still gets nervous whenever old game footage is shown on television. 

That opening night took place on June 21, 1997, at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California. In that first game, the New York Liberty defeated the Los Angeles Sparks with a final score of 67–57. 

Leslie won the first-ever opening tip-off against New York center Kym Hampton, and Sparks guard Penny Toler scored the first basket in league history. 

Lobo led the Liberty to victory with 16 points and 6 rebounds, while Leslie answered with 16 points and 14 rebounds for the Sparks. The play resulted in 44 combined turnovers. 

Knowing how fragile everything was back then makes the current state of the WNBA feel even more remarkable.

How day 1 became season 30

In the inaugural season, the players had to perform under pressure after the 1996 U.S. Olympic women's basketball team won a gold medal. There was competition from other leagues like the American Basketball League. 

The season featured only 8 teams. The teams played a short 28-game schedule, and the Comets won the first championship behind regular-season MVP Cynthia Cooper. 

By 2026, the schedule expanded to 44 games, and the league grew to include more than 13 franchises with expansion plans underway. While the core rules remain identical, the overall global popularity of the sport has reached new levels. 

Revisiting this first meeting was fitting because the anniversary coincided with a 2026 regular-season rematch between New York and Los Angeles. 

What stands out most to you about the early days of the league compared to the games we watch today? 

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Written by

Utsav Sinha

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar