The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) has announced it will expand its regular season to 50 games from the 2027 season.
This will be an increase from the current 44-game schedule as interest in the league continues to grow.
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Cathy Engelbert, WNBA commissioner, said: “Demand for the WNBA has never been greater, and expanding to a 50-game regular season reflects the extraordinary momentum we are seeing across the league.
“This move reflects our commitment to growing the game and creating more opportunities for fans to watch the best players in the world and experience the extraordinary talent and competition that define the WNBA.”
The expanded schedule was allowed under the new collective bargaining agreement, which also vastly increased pay, secured a $2.2 billion media deal, and slated six expansion teams to join the league between 2024 and 2030.
The new structure extends the season's end to no later than November 21 in 2027 and November 30 starting in 2028, nearly a month beyond the previous limit of October 31.
The league also has the option to expand to 52 regular-season games beginning in 2029.
The 50-game season will be the most games played in league history after starting with 28 games in 1997 and increasing to 44 games in 2025.
The WNBA currently includes 15 teams, including two 2026 expansion clubs – Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire.
Three more franchises – Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia – will become part of an 18-team league by 2030.
Additional details regarding the 2027 WNBA regular season schedule, including key dates, will be announced at a later date.
The 2026 regular season began on May 8 and will conclude on September 24.
