Seattle Storm-New York Liberty scheduled to open WNBA season

The tipoff of the 2020 WNBA season conducted amid the worsening coronavirus pandemic will feature a former league and Finals Most Valuable Player facing the Association's newest household name.

On Monday, the WNBA unveiled its 2020 schedule and announced that the Seattle Storm, led by 2018 MVP Breanna Stewart, will battle first overall draft selection Sabrina Ionescu and the New York Liberty on July 25 to begin the season.

The Phoenix Mercury face the Los Angeles Sparks, and the Washington Mystics begin their title defense versus the Indiana Fever later that same day.

Stewart suffered a torn Achilles while playing overseas in April 2019 and missed all of last year's WNBA campaign. Ionescu became the first college basketball player, male or female, to accumulate 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 1,000 assists over a career.

Players and other WNBA personnel are isolated at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, where teams will complete 22-game campaigns during the uncontrolled virus outbreak.