By Doug Feinberg Associated Press
June 17, 2026 - 11:28 am
The WNBA — and the Las Vegas Aces — is expanding its docket to 50 games per squad adjacent season, the astir successful the league’s 30-year history.
That volition beryllium a leap from the 44 games teams presently play. When the league archetypal started successful 1997, teams played 28 games. That’s grown implicit the past 3 decades with the objection of 2020 and 2021 due to the fact that of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The new corporate bargaining agreement that was ratified earlier this twelvemonth allows the league to play up to 50 games for the adjacent 2 seasons. There tin beryllium up to 52 regular-season games successful 2029 and for the remainder of the CBA.
“Demand for the WNBA has ne'er been greater, and expanding to a 50-game regular play reflects the bonzer momentum we are seeing crossed the league,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said successful a statement.
“This determination reflects our committedness to increasing the crippled and creating much opportunities for fans to ticker the champion players successful the satellite and acquisition the bonzer endowment and contention that specify the WNBA.”
Over the adjacent fewer seasons the WNBA is adding 3 caller teams done expansion. Cleveland is joining successful 2028, Detroit successful 2029 and Philadelphia successful 2030. Connecticut is moving to Houston adjacent year.
Engelbert has said she’d emotion to play games overseas starting adjacent season. The league expanded its footprint to Canada this twelvemonth with the summation of the Toronto Tempo — the archetypal WNBA franchise extracurricular of the United States.
The WNBA has added a batch of caller TV and streaming partners implicit the past fewer years including ION, USA Sports, NBC and Amazon to spell on with ESPN and CBS.
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