WNBA headed for 50-game schedule next season

The WNBA’s footprint is expanding.

Beginning next season, the league will play 50 regular-season games, up from the maximum 44-game slate under the previous collective bargaining agreement. The new seven-year CBA, which was formally codified on May 22, stipulates that the schedule can increase to a maximum of 50 games in 2027 and 2028, and to up to 52 games between 2029 to 2032.

“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,” commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a statement. “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 league has steadily increased its schedule since its inaugural season in 1997, which included 28 games. By 2003, WNBA teams were playing 34 games a season and maintained that schedule through 2020, when it dropped to 22 games due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, the schedule increased to 32 games and then to 40 games in 2023. Last season was also a 44-game slate.

With the league’s recent expansion, an expanded schedule makes sense. Three WNBA teams (Golden State Valkyries, Portland Fire, Toronto Tempo) were added in the last two seasons, and the league will welcome three more teams (Cleveland, Detroit, Philadelphia) by 2030. Next season will also see the return of the Houston Comets, as the Connecticut Sun franchise moves.

This season, WNBA training camp began April 19, but beginning in 2027, they can start as early as April 1. The season can also extend no later than Nov. 21, as outlined in the new CBA. Additionally, the players’ union must be provided a draft of the regular-season schedule no later than when it’s distributed to every team, allowing the union time to review and provide feedback. However, according to the CBA, the league has “no obligation” to make any changes to the schedule based on the union’s input.

A key addition to the new CBA was the requirement that the league consult with the WNBPA and the medical director regarding game cadence and player health. This obligation has never been outlined in previous CBAs.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

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