The WNBA opens this weekend with one of the most star-studded opening weekends the league has seen. One game features the last four number one overall draft picks and the other is a Finals rematch.

Meanwhile, the NBA playoffs push into the second round where the Lakers and 76ers face must-win situations.

Here's your weekend preview starting with what matters most.

The stakes: There is no better opening weekend storyline in the WNBA than this one. The last four number one overall picks faceoff on the same court Saturday afternoon. On the Fever you have Caitlin Clark, the MVP favorite quickly becoming the face of the league, alongside Aliyah Boston who just signed a massive four-year $6.3 million dollar contract extension cementing herself as one of the best forwards in the game.

They faceoff against Paige Bueckers, the reigning Rookie of the Year, and Azzi Fudd, the newest number one overall pick making her professional debut. These franchises are at different stages in their development. Indiana is a legitimate title contender while Dallas is in a rebuild centered around young star power. With this much talent on the floor, this is must-watch basketball regardless of where either team is headed.

What to watch for: The Clark vs. Bueckers matchup is the one to watch in this game. Two of the most gifted guards in the world going head to head. Clark will look to bounce back after missing a significant portion of last season due to injury while Bueckers will look to prove she has taken a significant leap in year two.

The Betting Angle [Powered by WagerXpert]: While everyone is looking for Clark to pull up from the logo in her 2026 debut, the smart money is on her playmaking. In her rookie year, she led the league in assists (8.4 APG). After an injury-shortened 2025, she returned in the 2026 preseason looking like a more patient floor general. Dallas struggled all preseason with perimeter defense and with Indiana's frontcourt fully healthy and synced with Clark's playmaking, the assists will come early and often.

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The stakes: Last year the Aces swept the Mercury in the WNBA Finals. Saturday they meet again on ring night in Las Vegas as the Aces celebrate their third championship in four years. Phoenix enters this opener with a roster that looks different without Satou Sabally, one of their best players who departed this offseason. For the Mercury it is about proving they still belong among the league's elite despite losing a cornerstone player and being swept in the Finals. A bad performance Saturday only deepens the questions surrounding where this franchise is headed.

What to watch for: How Phoenix responds to the moment. Getting swept in the Finals and then losing a key player is a lot of adversity to carry into an opener on the road against the defending champions on ring night. Watch who steps up for the Mercury and whether they come out with the right competitive edge or if the atmosphere and the Aces' star power gets to them early.

The Betting Angle [Powered by WagerXpert]: Take the Aces first quarter spread at -2.5. It is ring night in Las Vegas and Becky Hammon's teams historically come out with a massive first-quarter burst on their home opener. The Mercury are still finding their identity without Sabally while the Aces are celebrating a title in front of their own crowd. Expect Las Vegas to set the tone before the first timeout.

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Lakers vs. Thunder | Game 3: Oklahoma City has been the best team in the Western Conference all season and opened this series at home where they are nearly impossible to beat. Should the Lakers be unable to beat the Thunder on the road tonight, Game 3 in Los Angeles on Saturday becomes a must-win for the Lakers. Lose and they are facing a 3-0 deficit that no team in NBA history has ever come back from. LeBron James has engineered improbable runs before and this team proved last series against the Rockets they can reach an elite level, but this Thunder team is a completely different beast.

76ers vs. Knicks | Game 4: Philadelphia got blown out in Game 1 and lost in Game 2 but that’s not an indication of how this series will play out. This is one of the most heated rivalries in the Eastern Conference and the Sixers are too talented to not make this a completive series. Expect Philadelphia to respond and push this to a long series. Watch to see if the Knicks will be able to win on the road in Philadelphia. Game 4 will be pivotal for the 76ers as they'll be facing a must-win moment at home to keep their season alive and avoid falling into a hole.

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