Sparks visit Liberty in Court Origins game replaying WNBA's 1997 debut

WNBA restages its first-ever game on ESPN.

Wire Report IntelligenceUpdated Jun 201 min read

Tomorrow we re-live it like it's the first night 🤩 Don't miss the first of our Court Origins games as the @LASparks tak

What happened: The Los Angeles Sparks visit the New York Liberty on Sunday, June 21, in the first of the WNBA's "Court Origins" games. The matchup restages the same franchises that met in the league's inaugural game on June 21, 1997. ESPN carries the broadcast at 8 p.m. ET.

Why it matters: The game uses the original Sparks-Liberty pairing to anchor the league's history, marking the date the WNBA first tipped off. It builds on the league's recent look back at that first night in 1997, framing a regular-season meeting around the franchises' shared origin.

By the numbers: New York enters the contest at 12-6 this season, averaging 88.2 points while allowing 83.2. The original meeting between the two franchises dates to June 21, 1997.

What to watch: Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. ET Sunday on ESPN, the first of multiple Court Origins games the league has scheduled.

Sources

@WNBA Jun 20, 6:12 PM ET

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Sparks visit Liberty in Court Origins game replaying WNBA's 1997 debut

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