• Loading stock data...
Monday, September 15, 2025
Tuned In is Almost Sold Out! Limited Tickets Remain!

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

Premier Lacrosse League

‘The Circus Is Coming to Town’: Why Upstart Leagues Start on Tour

In their ambitious plans, a traveling schedule is only temporary.
exclusive

Field of 68’s Jeff Goodman, Rob Dauster to Lead On3’s College Hoops..

Goodman previously worked for ESPN, CBS Sports, and Stadium.
Michelle Wu

Josh Kraft, Son of Patriots Owner, Leaves Boston Mayor Race After First-Round..

He challenged Mayor Wu over her support for White Stadium’s costly renovations.
Sep 11, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (24) dribbles past Golden State Valkyries forward Janelle Salaun (13) in the second half at Target Center.

As WNBA Grows, Engelbert Says Its Playoff Field Won’t for a While

Eight of thirteen WNBA teams made the playoffs this year.

Featured Today

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 19: A detailed view of the MLB Debut patch on the jersey of Patrick Monteverde #44 of the Miami Marlins prior to game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on April 19, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Tiny Jersey Patch at the Center of the MLB Rookie Card..

Autographed cards containing a piece of baseball history have upended the market.
September 11, 2025

Eagles-Chiefs Super Bowl Rematch Could Set More NFL Ratings Records

Fox will nationally televise Sunday afternoon’s matchup.
September 10, 2025

ESPN’s ‘MNF’ Ratings Up 8% As NFL Surges to Strong Start

ESPN posts its second-best Week 1 “Monday Night Football” audience.
Sep 7, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills fans react during the fourth quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at Highmark Stadium.
September 9, 2025

As Bills Ascend, Their Next Frontier Lies in Canada

Buffalo and the powerful Canadian entity MLSE come together in a new pact.

Most NFL Home Teams Opt to Honor Charlie Kirk Before Games

Several NFL teams playing at home on Sunday recognized the late activist. Some did not.
September 14, 2025

Low-Payroll Brewers Buck the Math, Clinch First MLB Playoff Berth

Milwaukee continues to defy its market size and economic constraints.
September 14, 2025

Crawford-Alvarez Bout Draws Biggest Crowd in Vegas Boxing History

Record attendance, a big gate, and growing ambitions mark the high-profile bout.
Sponsored

How World Series Champ Dexter Fowler Became a Premier League Team Owner

Dexter Fowler discusses navigating retirement and embracing new roles as an owner & investor.
September 12, 2025

UEFA Delays Overseas Matches Ruling As LaLiga Miami Game Looms

Barcelona-Villarreal is scheduled for late December at Hard Rock Stadium.
Jun 27, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; A view of a Wilson basketball and the Dallas Wings logo during the game between the Wings and the Indiana Fever at the American Airlines Center.
September 11, 2025

Democratic Women’s Caucus Urges WNBA to End CBA Stalemate

The league and WNBPA must reach an agreement by Oct. 31.
Feb 15, 2025; San Francisco, CA, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks in a press conference during All Star Saturday Night ahead of the 2025 NBA All Star Game at Chase Center.
September 11, 2025

Silver Says Free Highlights Are an Issue As NBA Begins $77B Deal

Silver called basketball a “highlight-based sport.”
September 11, 2025

Greg Norman Leaves LIV As Golf World Continues to Shift

Norman relinquished the league’s CEO role in January.