Where Lady Vols are playing in WNBA and how to watch 2026 season openers

0
2

When the 30th season of the WNBA tips off on May 8, five former Lady Vols basketball stars will be part of it.

Four of Tennessee’s five active players were former first-round draft picks. There have been 48 Lady Vols drafted to the WNBA since its inception in 1996.

Advertisement

Rennia Davis, the No. 9 overall pick in 2021, and Zee Spearman, who was drafted No. 31 overall by the Dallas Wings in this year’s draft, were also invited to training camps for the Seattle Storm and the Wings, respectively. Both players were waived before final rosters were released May 7.

Here’s where all the former Lady Vols are playing in 2026 and how to watch their first games of the season.

Rickea Jackson was part of one of the bigger trades in the offseason. The Sparks, who drafted Jackson No. 4 overall in 2024, traded her to the Chicago Sky for Ariel Atkins.

The 6-foot-2 forward averaged 14.7 points on 42.4% shooting last season, along with 3.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists. Jackson started in 37 of 38 games and shot 34.8% on 4.9 attempts from 3-point range per game.

Advertisement

Season opener: Chicago Sky at Portland Fire on May 9, 9 p.m. ET on NBA TV

Jordan Horston, G, Seattle Storm

Jordan Horston will soon make her return from a torn ACL that sidelined her for the 2025 season.

Horston was drafted No. 9 overall by the Storm in 2023. The 6-2 guard averaged 6.8 points on 49.3% shooting, 4.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.3 steals in 2024, when she started in 14 of 39 games.

Season opener: Seattle Storm vs. Golden State on May 8, 10 p.m ET on ION

Isabelle Harrison is the last active player in the WNBA to have played for legendary coach Pat Summitt. The 6-3 forward was drafted No. 12 overall in 2015 by the Phoenix Mercury.

Advertisement

Harrison played for the New York Liberty last season and averaged 10.6 minutes, 4.9 points, 2.6 rebounds. She signed with the Toronto Tempo as a free agent ahead of the organization’s inaugural season as an expansion team.

Season opener: Toronto Tempo vs. Washington Mystics on May 8, 7:30 p.m. ET on ION

1 / 50

Janiah Barker, Tennessee women’s basketball forward for Lady Vols, Kim Caldwell

Tennessee Volunteers guard Mia Pauldo (13) high-fives Tennessee Volunteers forward Janiah Barker (0) Thursday, March 5, 2026, during the SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament second round game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina. Alabama Crimson Tide won 76-64.

Rae Burrell re-signed with the Los Angeles Sparks in free agency, although she was a reserved player and the Sparks held exclusive negotiating rights. Burrell averaged 18.4 minutes, 7.5 points on 43.3% shooting, 2.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists last season. She also shot 32.8% on 2.4 attempts from 3-point range per game.

Advertisement

Los Angeles drafted the 6-2 guard with the No. 9 overall pick in 2022, although an injury limited her to three games that season. Burrell spent most of the 2023 season on a hardship contract with the Sparks before signing a two-year deal in 2024.

Season opener: Los Angeles Sparks vs. Las Vegas Aces on May 10, 6 p.m ET on USA Network

Janiah Barker, F, Las Vegas Aces

Janiah Barker was the first WNBA draft pick for Kim Caldwell. The 6-4 rookie forward was selected No. 29 overall by the Las Vegas Aces.

Barker started in 20 of 27 games for Tennessee this season. She averaged 14.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.1 steals in 23.9 minutes. Barker shot 46.5% from the field and 36.5% on 3.9 attempts from 3-point range per game.

Advertisement

Season opener: Las Vegas Aces vs. Phoenix Mercury on May 9, 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC

Cora Hall is the University of Tennessee women’s athletics reporter for Knox News. Email: cora.hall@knoxnews.com; X: @corahalllBluesky: @corahall.bsky.social‬. Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks:knoxnews.com/subscribe

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: How to watch former Lady Vols basketball stars playing in 2026 WNBA season

Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com