How the WNBA Works
The WNBA is a 15-team league that plays a single-table regular season—no conference split for standings. The season runs from early May through mid-September, with each team playing 44 games. The playoffs start in late September and crown a champion in October.
Season at a glance
- Early May—mid Sept: Regular season, 44 games per team.
- Mid July: All-Star break.
- Late Sept: Playoff First Round (best of 3).
- Early Oct: Semifinals (best of 5).
- Mid Oct: WNBA Finals (best of 7).
The Regular Season
The WNBA has 15 teams after a wave of recent expansion (Golden State Valkyries in 2025; Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo joining in 2026). Unlike the NBA, the WNBA uses a single standings table—teams are ranked by overall record, not by conference.
Each team plays 44 games over roughly 4.5 months. The season is shorter and more condensed than the NBA’s, with frequent back-to-backs. Mid-season highlights include the Commissioner’s Cup (a mini in-season tournament decided in a July title game) and the All-Star Game.
The Playoffs
The top 8 teams overall make the playoffs. There’s no play-in tournament. Seeds are matched as 1v8, 2v7, 3v6, 4v5, just like the NBA—except there’s only one bracket rather than two conference brackets.
First Round: Best of 3—higher seed hosts Games 1 and 3 (if necessary). A team can get bounced in two nights.
Semifinals: Best of 5—2-2-1 format. Higher seed hosts Games 1, 2, and 5 if necessary.
Finals: Best of 7—2-2-1-1-1 format. Expanded from best-of-5 starting in the 2025 season.
The short first round (best of 3) is unique to the WNBA among the major American leagues. One bad night can put a team on the brink; two bad nights and the season is over. That makes first-round upsets more common than you’d see in an NBA best-of-7.
The WNBA Finals
The WNBA Finals is the championship round. Starting in 2025, it’s best of 7 (up from best of 5 previously). The first team to 4 wins is crowned champion, and a Finals MVP is named.
The Houston Comets (1997–2000) and the Minnesota Lynx are tied for the most titles at 4 apiece. The Las Vegas Aces (2022, 2023) and New York Liberty (2024) are recent champions; 2025 brought expansion and a new era.