Interest in the WNBA has never been greater, so the league is giving its fans more.
On Wednesday morning, the WNBA announced that beginning with the 2027 season, the WNBA’s regular season has been expanded to 50 games, up six games from the 44 regular season games that teams currently play.
“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,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert wrote in a statement on Wednesday.
“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 50-game season will be the most games played in league history. The league started with 28 games in 1997 and increased to 44 games in 2025. The league also has the option to expand to 52 regular-season games beginning in 2029.
The expanded regular season slate was allowed under the dynamic new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) that was announced during the offseason. That new CBA also secured vastly improved pay for players, secured a $2.2 billion media rights deal, and allowed for six expansion teams to join the league from 2024 to 2030.
As the league grows in both popularity and number of teams, the expanded regular season will help deliver a better product to the fans.
About Dave Kelsey
Contributing author to The Comeback.