On Thursday, the WNBA announced that all 12 of its teams will be available for play on EA Sports’ NBA Live 18, one of the two main NBA video game franchises out there. The game will be released sometime this fall, but a demo version will be available on August 11.
One of the major features that separate NBA LIVE from NBA 2K is the addition of all 12 WNBA teams and rosters. So in addition to seeing John Wall, Bradley Beal, Otto Porter, Marcin Gortat, and Markieff Morris lead the Wizards to the 2018 NBA Finals, you can also play as Elena Delle Donne, Emma Meesseman, Tayler Hill, Kristi Toliver, and Krystal Thomas as they beat their foes in the WNBA.
In the video above (from YouTube vlogger TicoisTocory), you can see some snapshots of the Mystics’ stars playing and making mincemeat out of the San Antonio Stars on the road.
According to Polygon’s Owen S. Good, the WNBA is only available in “Play Now” mode and cannot play NBA teams or be in a “franchise” mode. However, it is possible that NBA LIVE may incorporate WNBA players and NBA players onto co-ed teams for other formats in the near future. Therefore, we mays see a virtual reality where Wall passes the ball to Delle Donne for a game-winning corner three on an Xbox One or PS4 screen in the not-too-distant future.