STWF Sports | ARLINGTON, Texas | Jan. 26, 2026 — The Dallas Wings will usher in the next chapter of one of the WNBA’s most compelling rivalries when they open their 2026 preseason schedule against the Indiana Fever on April 30 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Tipoff in Indianapolis is set for 6 p.m. CT, marking the first on-court glimpse of a season that promises national attention, star power, and heightened expectations on both sides.
While preseason games often emphasize evaluation and preparation, this matchup carries significance well beyond a typical exhibition. The meeting serves as the first of four scheduled showdowns between Dallas and Indiana in 2026, a series that has quickly become one of the league’s most-watched and most-attended. The rivalry will officially continue into the regular season with the Wings and Fever opening the 2026 WNBA campaign against each other on May 9 in Indianapolis.
Dallas will return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse again on Aug. 14 before the series concludes on Aug. 20 in Texas. That finale will be staged at American Airlines Center in downtown Dallas, the same venue where the two teams played before a sold-out crowd of more than 20,000 fans last June. The June 27, 2025 contest drew 20,409 spectators, setting a franchise single-game attendance record, becoming the largest crowd in Texas WNBA history, and ranking as just the eighth regular-season game in league history to surpass the 20,000 mark.
The Wings-Fever rivalry has rapidly evolved into a showcase event for the league. Fueled by young superstars and national storylines, the four-game series in 2025 produced some of the highest television ratings in WNBA regular-season history. The July 13 matchup on ABC averaged 2.1 million viewers, underscoring the growing reach and momentum of women’s professional basketball. Across four games, the teams played in front of an average crowd of nearly 18,000 fans, elevating the rivalry into must-see territory.
At the center of that surge is a convergence of elite talent. The Dallas–Indiana series features the three most recent No. 1 overall draft picks, each of whom also captured the WNBA Rookie of the Year award. For Dallas, that spotlight belongs to Paige Bueckers, who was selected first overall in last April’s WNBA Draft and delivered a record-setting debut season with the Wings. Bueckers’ immediate impact, highlighted by her Rookie of the Year honors, helped transform Dallas into one of the league’s most marketable and closely followed teams.
Indiana counters with Caitlin Clark, whose arrival with the Fever further amplified national interest and attendance across the league. Together, Bueckers and Clark have become central figures in the WNBA’s next era, drawing fans, broadcasters, and sponsors to matchups that feel as much like marquee events as regular-season games.
The rivalry may gain another layer this spring. After winning the WNBA Draft Lottery again in November, the Wings hold the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming 2026 WNBA Draft. That opportunity positions Dallas to add another cornerstone piece to a roster already rich with young talent, further raising the stakes for a season that begins in Indianapolis.
The 2026 campaign will also mark a new era on the sideline for Dallas. Veteran head coach Jose Fernandez will lead the Wings in his first season after being hired in October. Fernandez brings an accomplished résumé built over 25 seasons at the University of South Florida, where he amassed nearly 500 wins and guided his program to 19 postseason appearances. His influence extends beyond the collegiate level, having helped develop more than 100 professional players worldwide and earning two gold medals as an assistant coach with USA Basketball’s U18 and U19 National Teams.
Fernandez’s arrival signals a blend of experience and adaptability as the Wings continue to navigate a rapidly evolving league. The preseason opener against Indiana offers an early opportunity to establish identity, test rotations, and begin building chemistry ahead of a demanding regular-season schedule.
Dallas will conclude its preseason with a neutral-site contest later in the spring, with details to be announced. While exhibitions rarely define a season, the April 30 matchup against Indiana provides an unmistakable preview of what lies ahead: a rivalry fueled by star power, historic crowds, and growing national attention. As the Wings tip off their preseason in Indianapolis, the tone for another highly anticipated WNBA season will be set.
