More WNBA News

Alex Bazzell’s Stance on Wife Napheesa Collier’s Stature Could Ignite a New Discussion in the WNBA World

Napheesa Collier and the Lynx are fighting on an equal foot with the first seeded Liberty. And her husband has one word of praise to offer.
Napheesa Collier. Alex Bazzell

“I’m Not Like Paige Bueckers”: Flau’jae Johnson Throws a Witty Jibe at UConn Rival as She Predicts 2024 WNBA Champion

Flau'jae Johnson playfully teases Paige Bueckers while predicting an exciting showdown in the WNBA Finals.
Flaujae on Paige Bueckers

Caitlin Clark Misses Iowa Reunion as Gabbie Marshall & Kate Martin Join Forces for a Heartwarming Reason

Iowa Haweyes, unite! Some of Caitlin Clark's former teammates met up with each other after a long time but sadly missed CC!
Syndication: Akron Beacon Journal

Angel Reese Takes a Subtle Dig Possibly at Swifties as Podcast With Kayla Nicole Racks Up Big Numbers

What did Angel Reese after she has been going viral for defending Kayla Nicole for relationship with Travis Kelce?
NFL: San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams

Not Caitlin Clark, Sydney Affolter Chooses Iowa’s Unsung Hero for Leadership Growth

Who does the Iowa Hawkeyes star Sydney Affolter looks upto when it comes to leadership skills in the NCAA women's basketball?
Caitlin Clark and Sydney Affolter

Sandy Brondello Details How NY Liberty Somehow Lost Despite 99.2% Chance vs Napheesa Collier & Minnesota Lynx

NY Liberty head coach has detailed on what led to her team's unexpected loss at the hands of Minnesota Lynx.
WNBA: Playoffs-New York Liberty at Connecticut Sun

Cheryl Reeve vs Sandy Brondello: Comparing the Coaches’ Titles, Coaching Record, Win Percentage, and More

Lynx and Liberty coaches, Cheryl Reeve and Sandy Brondello lead their teams with impressive legacies as the WNBA Finals unfold.
Cheryl Reeve and Sandy Brondello

Angel Reese Pushes Kayla Nicole to Blow the Lid Off the Chiefs WAG’s “Fake Relationship”

Kayla Nicole addresses rumors about her past relationship with Travis Kelce, and addresses the bonds that came with it
Kayla Nicole

Who Is NY Liberty Rookie Leonie Fiebich? Meet the 6’3 Center Taking WNBA Finals by Storm

The NY Liberty Rookie Leonie Fiebich was drafted into the league by LA Sparks back in 2020 but she made her debut with Liberty this year.
WNBA: Playoffs–Atlanta Dream at New York Liberty

Sandy Brondello Gets Blunt Over Sabrina Ionescu’s Mistake After NY Liberty Bottle Game 1 vs Minnesota Lynx

The Minnesota Lynx pulled off a stunning overtime comeback against the Liberty, led by Napheesa Collier's dominant performance.
WNBA, Basketball Damen, USA Playoffs-New York Liberty at Chicago Sky, Aug 17, 2022; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New York Lib

Napheesa Collier Points Tonight vs NY Liberty: A Look at Minnesota Lynx Star’s Stats in WNBA Finals Comeback Win

The WNBA Finals kicked off with a nail biting Game 1 between Lynx and Liberty with Napheesa Collier putting up an all round performance.
Napheesa Collier and Jonquel Jones WNBA Finals 2024

Courtney Vandersloot Pays a Touching Tribute to Her Mother Jan at NY Liberty’s Heartbreaking Loss, Courtesy of Sabrina Ionescu

Courtney Vandersloot honors her late mother by debuting a custom *Sabrina 2* colorway for the WNBA Finals.
WNBA: Playoffs-Las Vegas Aces at New York Liberty

About WNBA

The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) is a women's professional basketball league, the women’s counterpart of the National Basketball Association (NBA). But unlike the men’s league, which has 30 teams, the WNBA is relatively newer and smaller with 12 teams.

Founded on April 24, 1996, the women’s basketball league began play in June 1997 after the NBA Board of Governors approved their concept. The WNBA now has a 5-month long regular season, played from May to September, with the All-Star game being played midway through the season in July. The playoffs usually begin in mid-September, with the WNBA Finals at the end of September until the beginning of October.

With names like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese popularizing the NCAA side of things, the rookies’ advent into the pro leagues has helped the sport reach wider audiences across the globe. But veterans like Sheryl Swoopes and legends like Diana Taurasi are impacting the game in their own way.

For all the news on major sports moments to niche storylines, we are a one-stop hub for all your WNBA-related questions. From the New York Liberty to the Indiana Fever, from the Las Vegas Aces to the Minnesota Lynx, we also explore game-unrelated content featuring the entities’ personal lives and families. You’ll be able to find posts related to Brittney Griner’s son and A’ja Wilson’s family to Aerial Powers’ dating life.

Regular Season format

The pre-season begins with training camps in May that allow the coaching staff to prepare the players for the regular season and determine the 12-woman roster with which they will begin the regular season. The last part before the actual season starts is a series of exhibition games.

The WNBA regular season then begins in May and goes on till late September/ early October. As of 2023, each team will play 40 regular season games, 20 each home and away. As in the NBA, each team hosts and visits every other team at least once every season.

The rules allow for a slight relaxation every four years when the Summer Olympics are held. The WNBA takes a month off in the middle of the season to allow players to practice and compete with their respective national teams. 

Similarly, during years in which the FIBA World Cup is held, the WNBA either takes a break for the World Cup or ends its season early, depending on the scheduling of the World Cup.

Postseason/Playoffs Format

The WNBA Playoffs usually begin in late September, with the only exception being the FIBA World Cup, when they begin in August. In the current system, the eight best teams by the regular-season record, without regard to conference alignment, qualify for the playoffs. Since 2022, the playoffs have been held in a standard knockout format, with the first round consisting of the best-of-three series and the semifinals and finals being best-of-five.

Leading the playoff standings and having a higher seed means several advantages - they will face weaker teams in the beginning and have home-court advantage in each round. In the current playoff format, all first-round matchups use a 2”“1 home-court pattern, which allows the higher seed the opportunity to win the series without having to visit the lower seed. This, in turn, means that a lower seed that wins one of the first two games will host the series decider.

The first round is bracketed in the normal manner for an 8-team tournament, with 1 vs. 8 and 4 vs. 5 on one side of the bracket and 2 vs. 7 and 3 vs. 6 on the other. The winners of each series advance to the semifinals, with the bracket not being reseeded. The semifinals use a 2”“2”“1 home-court pattern, meaning that the higher-seeded team will have home court in games 1, 2, and 5 while the other team plays at home in games 3 and 4. The Finals are also played in a 2”“2”“1 home-court pattern.

WNBA’s All-Star Game

In the middle of the season in July, the WNBA season takes a pause to host the annual WNBA All-Star Game. It’s a weekend-long event, held in a selected WNBA city each year.

Like numerous other sports, through the 2017 edition, the All-Star Game featured star players from the Western Conference facing star players from the Eastern Conference. But since 2018, conference affiliations have not influenced team selections.

During the season, voting for All-Star starters takes place among fans, WNBA players, and sports media members. The starters are selected by a weighted vote (fans 50%, players and media 25% each), while reserves are selected by the league's head coaches. The two players with the most fan votes are named team captains, who then fill out their teams in a draft format similar to that currently used for the NBA All-Star Game.

WNBA Teams which are counterparts of NBA teams

Five WNBA teams have direct NBA counterparts and normally play in the same arena: Indiana Fever (Indiana Pacers), New York Liberty (Brooklyn Nets), Minnesota Lynx (Minnesota Timberwolves), Los Angeles Sparks (Los Angeles Lakers), and Phoenix Mercury (Phoenix Suns).

The Atlanta Dream, Chicago Sky, Connecticut Sun, Dallas Wings, Las Vegas Aces, Seattle Storm, and Washington Mystics do not share an arena with a direct NBA counterpart.

WNBA expansion over the years

The WNBA originated with 8 teams in 1997, and through a sequence of expansions, contractions, and relocations currently consists of 12 teams. There have been a total of 18 franchises in WNBA history.

As of the league's most recent 2022 season, the Las Vegas Aces (formerly the Utah Starzz and San Antonio (Silver) Stars), Los Angeles Sparks, New York Liberty, and Phoenix Mercury are the only remaining franchises that were founded in 1997.

Upcoming teams in the WNBA:

TeamCityArenaCapacityJoiningHead Coach
Golden State ValkyriesSan Francisco, CaliforniaChase Center18,0642025TBA
Toronto WNBA TeamToronto, OntarioCoca-Cola Coliseum87002026TBA

Teams with the most championships

TeamTotal Championships Year(s) Won
Minnesota Lynx42011, 2013, 2015, 2017
Houston Comets41997, 1998, 1999, 2000
Seattle Storm42004, 2010, 2018, 2020
Los Angeles Sparks32001, 2002, 2016
Phoenix Mercury32007, 2009, 2014
Detroit Shock (Now Dallas Wings)32003, 2006, 2008
Las Vegas Aces22022, 2023

Awards given in the WNBA

When the regular season ends in September (or August if it’s a FIBA year), the voting for individual awards begins. Performances in the playoffs have no bearing on all-season-long awards, as they have their own set of honors.

Beginning with Rookie of the Year, the award goes to the most outstanding first-year player. The Most Improved Player Award is given to the WNBA player who has undergone the most positive change in the last season.

The Sixth Player of the Year Award, previously known as the "Sixth Woman" award, is given to the best player coming off the bench. But they must have more games coming off the bench than actual games started.

Another prestigious honor is the Defensive Player of the Year Award, which goes to the league's best defender. There is also an award for the best sportsman, called the Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award.

Coaches get recognized too with the Coach of the Year Award for making a significant difference to a team in a positive direction.

And finally, one of the most awaited awards, the Most Valuable Player Award is given to the player deemed the most valuable for her team that season.

A new title that began in 2019 is a season-long version of the WNBA Community Assist Award given to a player for her exceptional contribution to community service.

Focusing on teams, there is the Basketball Executive of the Year Award, presented to the team executive most instrumental in his or her team's success in that season. Then there are also the All-WNBA Teams, the All-Defensive Teams, and the All-Rookie Team, consisting of 5 players each without regard to position. And lastly, there is also an All-Rookie team, consisting of the top five first-year players regardless of position.