• Loading stock data...
Tuesday, September 2, 2025
The biggest names in sports media. All in one room. Get your ticket now!

How WNBA Is Preparing to Build on Historic 2024 Season

  • Key 2025 initiatives for the league include expansion deliberations, a longer season, and a new postseason format.
  • The WNBA’s new TV deals don’t start until 2026, but preparatory work will occur next year.
Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The WNBA’s breakthrough 2024 season isn’t quite over yet, but the league is already preparing for an encore that is aimed at reaching even greater heights.

This season for the women’s basketball league, of course, was a deeply transformative one that included record attendance, a bevy of viewership milestones, the Caitlin Clark phenomenon becoming a national frenzy, and announcements of forthcoming teams in Toronto and Portland

As the WNBA Finals between the New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx are set for Game 3 on Wednesday, the league is actively working on several major initiatives for the 2025 season. Among them: 

  • Expansion: The Golden State Valkyries will start play next year, while the previously announced Toronto and Portland franchises will join the league by 2026. A 16th team could join the league in 2027. As planning for the confirmed franchises and consideration of other candidates continues, the league is spoiled for choice among potential markets.  
  • A longer regular season: The 2025 campaign will increase from 40 regular-season games per team to 44. That will help extend the overall season slightly deeper into October.
  • Adjusted playoff format: The WNBA Finals beginning next year will expand from a best-of-five to a best-of-seven, while home court placements will also change for the first round. The availability of charter flights across the entire season and rising interest in WNBA games have helped fuel these changes. 

“Honestly, the league’s growth and increased demand for WNBA basketball made this the ideal time to expand the schedule, lengthen the Finals, and provide more opportunities to see the best players in the world compete at the highest level,” WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said last week as the Finals began.

TV Talk

The league’s new TV deals, part of a comparison set of agreements for the NBA, will not begin until 2026. But those pacts are set to provide $2.2 billion over 11 years, and there will be an opportunity after three years to revisit the rights and see where they match up with the league’s growth. Next year, the WNBA will be preparing for the first of the new deals with ESPN, NBC Sports, and Amazon.

At the Finals, Engelbert called the deals “groundbreaking” and highlighted their ability to “grow the economics of the league and expand the reach and accessibility of our game for our fans, with additional WNBA media deals to come.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Osaka Ousts Gauff As American Presence at US Open Dwindles

Gauff’s exit shifts spotlight to Pegula, Anisimova, and Fritz at US Open.
Dallas Wings

WNBA Teams Desperate to Expand Rosters Amid ‘Extreme Hardship’ 

The Wings are scrambling to field eight players Friday night.
Candace Parker

Candace Parker Not a WNBA Owner Yet, but Her Business Is Booming

Her WNBA peers say she made the blueprint for earning off the court.
Breanna Stewart

Breanna Stewart’s Injury Meant Rare Presence at WNBA CBA Talks

Stewart “makes the league sit up straight,” the union director told FOS.

Featured Today

Oct 13, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) and wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) celebrate their touchdown pass during the second quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Lincoln Financial Field.

TV Ratings Just Changed Again. The NFL Will Be the Big Winner

Nielsen’s new viewership system will have a big impact on sports.
Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) celebrates with offensive lineman Donovan Jackson (74) after a touchdown catch against Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the first quarter during the College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on January 20, 2025.
August 30, 2025

The Most Expensive Roster Year in College Football History

The House settlement created revenue-sharing—and a big NIL loophole.
August 26, 2025

‘You’re Going to Get Beat Up’: The Liberty’s All-Male Practice Squad

A select group suits up weekly to take on the defending champs.
August 24, 2025

The Honey Deuce Effect: How Tennis Perfected the Signature Cocktail

Sold every 1.5 seconds, they total more than $12 million in sales.

NFL’s 16-Game International Slate of Games Nears Reality

The league will play a record seven games outside the U.S. this season.
September 1, 2025

The Big Money Behind Minor League Baseball’s Renaming Revolution

Teams are rebranding for local pride—and huge revenue.
September 2, 2025

Liverpool’s $598M Transfer Spree: End of the Title Race Already?

A deal for Swedish striker Alexander Isak highlights a record outlay.
Sponsored

Gareth Bale on MLS vs EPL, Retirement & Buying Cardiff City

Gareth Bale shares his post-soccer business playbook.
August 29, 2025

Who Are the Richest MLB Owners?

MLB owners are among the wealthiest people in the U.S.
August 28, 2025

Selig Backs MLB Salary Cap, but Warns Against Labor Fight

The league’s former commissioner cites salary-cap success in other leagues.
May 24, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban celebrates after defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves in game two of the western conference finals for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Target Center.
August 28, 2025

Mark Cuban on Why NBA Expansion Isn’t Imminent

Cuban said the next CBA could help solve some expansion issues.
Aug 24, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) looks on from the bench against the Minnesota Lynx in the second half at Target Center.
August 27, 2025

Caitlin Clark Still Out With 2 Weeks Left in WNBA Season

The WNBA regular season ends Sept. 11.