Getty Brittney Griner #42 of the Phoenix Mercury handles the ball against Chiney Ogwumike #13 of the Los Angeles Sparks
The 2023 WNBA season is kicking off this weekend and one of the marquee match-ups is when the Los Angeles Sparks host the Phoenix Mercury on Friday, May 19.
The game (11 p.m. ET start time) will be televised on ESPN, but if you don’t have cable, you can watch a live stream on ESPN+, FuboTV or DirecTV Stream.
Here’s a full guide on the different ways you can watch a live stream of the Mercury vs Sparks:
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FuboTV
You can watch a live stream of ESPN and 100-plus other TV channels on FuboTV, which comes with a free seven-day trial:
Once signed up for FuboTV, you can watch the Mercury vs Sparks live on the FuboTV app or FuboTV website.
Compatible devices for the FuboTV app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
You can also watch live on the ESPN app or ESPN.com. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but you can use your Fubo credentials if you don’t have that.
DirecTV Stream
DirecTV Stream has four different channel packages: “Entertainment,” “Choice,” “Ultimate” and “Premier.” ESPN is included in every one, and you can pick any package and any add-on you want with your free five-day trial:
Once signed up for DirecTV Stream, you can watch the Mercury vs Sparks live on the DirecTV Stream app or DirecTV Stream website.
Compatible devices for the DirecTV Stream app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Samsung TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
You can also watch live on the ESPN app or ESPN.com. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but you can use your DirecTV Stream credentials to do that.
ESPN+
If you’ve used up all your free trials for other streaming services, ESPN+ is the cheapest way to watch a live stream of the game:
ESPN+ will include multiple WNBA games per week, plus it has dozens of other live sports, every 30-for-30 documentary and additional original content (both video and written) for $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year (or $13.99 per month for a bundle of all three of ESPN+, Disney+ and Hulu).
Once signed up for ESPN+, you can watch the Mercury vs Sparks live on the ESPN app or ESPN.com.
Compatible devices for the ESPN app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, PlayStation 4 or 5, Xbox One or Series X/S, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), Samsung Smart TV, Oculus Go, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
Sling TV
You can watch a live stream of ESPN and 40-plus other TV channels via Sling TV’s “Sling Orange” package. This option doesn’t include a free trial, but it’s the cheapest long-term streaming service with ESPN, and you can get your first month half off:
Once signed up for Sling TV, you can watch the Mercury vs Sparks live on the Sling TV app or Sling TV website.
Compatible devices for the Sling TV app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), airTV Mini, Oculus, Portal, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
You can also watch live on the ESPN app or ESPN.com. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but you can use your Sling credentials if you don’t have that.
Hulu With Live TV
You can watch a live stream of ESPN and 65+ other TV channels via Hulu With Live TV, which also includes access to both ESPN+ and Disney+ at no extra cost:
Once signed up for Hulu With Live TV, you can watch the Mercury vs Sparks live on the Hulu app or Hulu website.
Compatible devices for the Hulu app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, PlayStation 4 or 5, Nintendo Switch, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
You can also watch live on the ESPN app or ESPN.com. You’ll need to sign in to a participating cable provider to watch this way, but you can use your Hulu credentials if you don’t have that.
Mercury vs Sparks Preview
The Los Angeles Sparks and Phoenix Mercury are opening their 2023 season against each other just one week after playing each other in a preseason game. That game was won by the Sparks, 90 to 71.
The game is coming after some tough cuts on both sides. WNBA teams are a bit ham-strung by small rosters and not very many teams overall, so after the WNBA draft and preseason games, the teams end up waiving a lot of players. The Sparks waived guard Crystal Bradford and power forward Reshanda Gray on May 13, center Monika Czinano on May 15, shooting guard Karlie Samuelson and forward Rae Burrell on May 16 and guard Yang Liwei on May 17.
The Mercury waived guard Sydney Wiese on April 27, forward Destiny Harden on May 5, center Kylee Shook on May 8, guard Essence Booker on May 10, and forward Liz Dixon and guard Destiny Slocum on May 13.
The season opener between the Sparks and Mercury will mark Brittney Griner’s first regular season WNBA game since being arrested and imprisoned in Russia in February 2022 on drug smuggling charges. She was released in December 2022 in a prisoner swap for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
In a preseason interview, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert told CBS News that they are so thrilled that Griner is safe and back in the league.
“There is nothing more important than Brittney being home safe … I had the opportunity to spend some time with her and I know how thrilled she is to get back on the court,” said Engelbert, adding, “It feels different this year, very positive. She’s super excited and everyone else is super excited.”
The 2023 WNBA season as a whole is broadcasting an unprecedented number of games live between broadcast and streaming partners. The league announced on May 14 that the CBS family of networks will carry 40 games, Ion will air 44 games, NBA TV will air 43 games, Amazon Prime VIdeo will air 21 games, Meta will air 20 games, Twitter will air 12 games and the ABC/ESPN family will broadcast 25 games for a total of 205 live games offered through the end of the regular season on September 10.
“This is an historic number of games this year. The idea is if you build it, they will come. That is so true in women’s sports,” said Engelbert, adding, “That is the way you build household names and build rivalries … that recognition and momemtum is now rising.”
The Sparks vs Mercury season opener tips off on Friday, May 19 at 11 p.m. Eastern time on ESPN and ESPN Plus.