WGS 2024 Schedule: Team-by-Team Breakdown

The following article reflects only the views of the author and is not representative of the views of Warriors Gaming Squad.

Warriors Gaming Squad announced its 2024 schedule recently, and with the team looking to run it back (in 5v5) this season, I thought it’d be worthwhile to examine the storylines in both 3v3 and 5v5. There’s a lot more to the league schedule than the set games, with bracket play entirely undetermined (you can read about the ins and outs of the 2024 season structure here), but let’s take an educated guess and see this year’s path through the Western Conference.  

 

3v3

The set schedule for 3v3 comprises group play for the SLAM OPEN and SWITCH OPEN tournaments.

Day/Date	Time (PT)	Opponent
THE SLAM OPEN
Wednesday, February 28	3 p.m.	Jazz Gaming
Wednesday, February 28	4:30 p.m.	Blazer5 Gaming
Thursday, February 29	4:30 p.m.	Kings Guard Gaming
Thursday, February 29	7:30 p.m.	Lakers Gaming
THE SWITCH OPEN
Wednesday, March 20	4:30 p.m.	Bucks Gaming
Thursday, March 21	4:30 p.m.	Jazz Gaming
Thursday, March 21	6 p.m.	Grizz Gaming
Monday, March 25	1 p.m.	Kings Guard Gaming

 

WGS’ 3v3 schedule is full of great Western Conference battles. 

Jazz Gaming (SLAM OPEN and SWITCH OPEN opponents)

Key question: Which lineup will Jazz Gaming play?

Player to watch: Justin

Jazz Gaming, a 3v3 playoff team in both 2022 and 2023, looks even further improved in the mode, returning lock Kaze and versatile superstar Ria while adding talented 3v3 guard Justin (a friend of WGS big man Nay) and power forward Zak (known in the community as Miami). But with four top players and only three starting spots, which lineup will debut against the Dubs? The Jazz eliminated WGS in the final round of the STEAL in 2022 with a playoff spot on the line, and many public outlets have them pegged as a real contender in 3v3 this season.

 

Blazer5 Gaming (SLAM OPEN)

Key question: Who’s the guard?

Player to watch: May

Blazer5 Gaming also made the 3v3 playoffs last season and still feature former WGS power forward KayAus. After an intriguing draft, will former fourth overall pick Claude retain his guard spot? Will highly drafted veteran SG Faiz claim it instead, or will it be rookie YouBots? A sneaky benefit to the team’s 3v3 campaign will be May, who starred in 3v3 for Magic Gaming and now figures to slot into the B5 lineup early.

 

Kings Guard Gaming (SLAM OPEN and SWITCH OPEN)

Key question: Will the rookie talent make an immediate impact?

Player to watch: KIK

The youthful Kings had three top-10 picks in the 2024 draft, and top picks Score and KIK figure to play from day one, with Score at guard and the versatile KIK… somewhere? Bray, another top 10 pick from last season, also lurks, while rookie PG FatStop and veteran presence Kerry can also round out the intriguing Kings Guard lineup. If Mama Im Dat Man is starting for WGS, look for fireworks against his former team.

 

Lakers Gaming (SLAM OPEN)

Key question: Is the talent clicking already?

Player to watch: YooVc

This will be quite the matchup. Lakers Gaming will almost certainly start perennial MVP candidate ShiftyKaii, acquired this offseason from T-Wolves Gaming, at guard. Former first overall pick Krazy has the talent to play either guard or big. But most interesting will be YooVc’s first matchup (potentially) against his former team. WGS traded him to Cavs Legion GC in 2023 for eventual DPOY Seese, who, neatly, started his career with Lakers Gaming. There’ll be sparks in the air in this final group stage matchup.

 

Bucks Gaming (SWITCH OPEN)

Key question: Demons vanquished?

Player to watch: JohhnyRed

Ah, the Bucks. Eliminators of Warriors Gaming Squad in the 2022 5v5 playoffs and the 2023 3v3 playoffs. Eliminated by WGS in the 2023 5v5 playoffs. There’s a lot of history here, even before talking about Seese as part of the Bucks 2022 championship run, or CP and Dimez—the inaugural top pick, now back in Milwaukee—defeating WGS in the TIPOFF last season. Oh yeah, and the Bucks also have JohhnyRed, one of the best players in the world, and Dawsix, another elite lock. CB13, JohhnyRed, Dawsix, Seese, Dimez: the USA Basketball eNational Team gold medal lineup. All potentially on the court for this matchup.

 

Grizz Gaming (SWITCH OPEN)

Key question: Who’s the lock?

Player to watch: Vandi

Public confession I probably shouldn’t make: I really like what the Grizz did with the draft. It should pay off immediately, with top-level 3v3 players Vandi and OhDonn all but locked to start. Who’s the lock, though, will have a big effect on their long-term potential. Will it be second-round pick Icyy, back in the league after a strong offseason and year away? Will it be Spartxn, the franchise’s longest-tenured (consecutively) player? Could Rigby make a push? If they find the right answer, Grizz Gaming, after an oft-jilted offseason, could be the belle of the virtual ball.

 

 

5v5

5v5 is my favorite mode. Its set schedule comprises six-game round robins for the TIPOFF and TURN tournaments.

Day/Date	Time (PT)	Opponent
THE TIPOFF TOURNAMENT
Wednesday, May 8	4 p.m.	Blazer5 Gaming
Thursday, May 9	5 p.m.	Kings Guard Gaming
Friday, May 10	6 p.m.	Lakers Gaming*
Wednesday, May 15	6 p.m.	Jazz Gaming
Thursday, May 16	4 p.m.	Lakers Gaming
Friday, May 17	3 p.m.	T-Wolves Gaming
THE TURN TOURNAMNET
Wednesday, May 29	5 p.m.	Jazz Gaming
Thursday, May 30	4 p.m.	DUX Infinitos
Friday, May 31	4 p.m.	Kings Guard Gaming
Wednesday, June 5	3 p.m.	Pistons GT
Thursday, June 6	3 p.m.	Jazz Gaming
Friday, June 7	5 p.m.	Grizz Gaming

 

Blazer5 Gaming (TIPOFF)

The leading scorer in Blazer5 Gaming history also notched a record 40 points and 7 steals against Blazer5 Gaming in his Warriors Gaming Squad debut. That would be Finals MVP Mama Im Dat Man, the best player in Blazer5 Gaming franchise history. WGS and B5 are two of only three teams to make the 5v5 playoffs five times, with the Warriors streak on going and B5’s at one. WGS is 11-3 against their Portland pals in their last 14 meetings.

 

Kings Guard Gaming (TIPOFF and TURN)

We covered the Kings’ youth in the 3v3 portion, but it’s worth looking back at last year’s Kings game. KGG, who went 1-12 all season, led WGS through three quarters before a ferocious defensive onslaught and CB13 dagger saved the day in a tight WGS win. That was a tactically important game for WGS—will a bright-lights matchup for the Kings’ young guns prove similarly pivotal this year? WGS has won six straight against Kings Guard after going 2-5 to start the teams’ history.

 

Lakers Gaming (TIPOFF x2, Game of the Week)

More of the same from 3v3 again, with the introduction of new Lakers point guard Dynasty—a presumptive top pick who fell to 29th in the draft—likely getting his first game against the defending champions. The Warriors’ 1-3 of CB13, Mama, and Kenny have all averaged more than 25 points per game against the Lakers over the course of their careers; WGS is 10-3 against the LakeShow all time.

 

Jazz Gaming (TIPOFF and TURN)

From the Lakers to the Salt Lakers. We explored the Jazz’s four-man problem as far as 3v3 goes, but all four will be on the court for WGS’ three games against Utah this season. The two teams played back-to-back conference finals against each other in 2020 and 2021; only CB13 and Ria remain on their respective teams from those battles. The young Jazz feature top-10 point guard pick iufeen and former Coach of the Year Jelani Mitchell. WGS is 10-7 all-time against one of the West’s best.

 

T-Wolves Gaming (TIPOFF)

For years, I’ve been telling T-Wolves Gaming GM Justin Butler that it’s time WGS and TWG have a final showdown. This is a second straight team WGS has split epic playoff battles with, but also a team WGS has played only once in the last two seasons. It’s a very new-look pack this year for the T-Wolves, with a new 2-5 keyed by second overall pick Tutak. But it’s Bear and CB13—the two longest tenured point guards ever—who’ll be the marquee matchup in the final group game of the TIPOFF.

 

DUX Infinitos

New dukes, new DUX. Former top prospect Spam is running the show, with league vets Anias and Scoreo there to support, along with lockdown Warnocks, the first-ever French player drafted in the league (12th overall!). DUX has been a strong 3v3 team, including 2023 champion, in their two years in the league, but their 5v5 results haven’t been equally strong. This team is built for 5s, though, and DUX will look to get their first-ever win against Warriors Gaming Squad.

 

Pistons GT

*rubs hands maniacally* Pistons-Warriors! MVP Ant! Two of the top teams in 2023 are back it in 2024. WGS is 14-4 against the Pistons all-time, which should really be 13-2 if we take out the three-game series I coached against the Pistons in 2021. Public analysis thinks the Pistons will be one of the best teams in the league again this year, and this matchup could have a real playoff preview vibe to it.

 

Grizz Gaming

We covered the Grizz at some length above, so I’ll just point out that the Grizz’s head coach AuthenticAfrican (his gamertag from his NBA 2K League playing career; his real name is Mehyar Ahmed-Hassan) is the NBA 2K League record-holder for points in a single game with 84. Number two on the list is Mama Im Dat Man with 77 (the most in a regular-season game). Warriors Gaming Squad and Grizz Gaming have combined for just 30 games scoring more than 84 points. With how defensive NBA 2K24 has been to this point, don’t expect that to go up to 31.

 

There are plenty of teams not discussed here, and plenty of unknowns as the 2024 season begins. But the storylines write themselves, and it should be another good year of NBA 2K League basketball.