The W is back: 30th season tips Friday with Sun at Liberty, Tempo and Fire debuting

The W is back. The 30th WNBA season tips Friday night with three games on ION — Connecticut Sun at the New York Liberty in Brooklyn at 7:30 ET, Toronto Tempo at the Washington Mystics, and Seattle Storm at the Golden State Valkyries to close out the night. First triple-header of the new era.

It's a 15-team league now. Toronto and Portland are the first WNBA expansion teams in 18 years. The Tempo open Friday; the Portland Fire debut Saturday at 9 ET in Chicago. By Sunday all 15 teams will have played at least once.

The matchup everybody actually wants is Saturday at 1 PM ET on ABC: Caitlin Clark and the Fever vs. Paige Bueckers and the Wings, in Indianapolis. The Liberty open without Sabrina Ionescu (ankle), the Sky open without Hailey Van Lith (waived, picked up by the Sun), and the cuts are still coming. But the W is back. Welcome to season 30.