The WNBA played its 30th season in 2026 with 15 teams, the most in its history. This page covers the basics for new fans and for anyone coming back after a few years away.
The WNBA is the top professional women's basketball league in the world. It is affiliated with the NBA and plays in the summer, after the college season and the NBA regular season are over. A game is 40 minutes, split into four 10-minute quarters. The court is the same size as the NBA's, and the ball is slightly smaller.
The regular season decides the seeds for the playoffs. Eight teams get in. The first round is best of three, the semifinals are best of five, and the WNBA Finals are best of seven. The Commissioner's Cup runs inside the regular season. Certain early games count toward Cup standings, and the top team in each conference plays a one-game final for a separate prize pool.
The league has an Eastern Conference and a Western Conference. Golden State joined in 2025. Toronto and Portland joined in 2026, which brought the league to 15 teams. Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia are scheduled to join between 2028 and 2030. Our team directory lists every franchise with its arena, coach and titles.
Our standings page updates twice a day with every team's record in both conferences.
National games air on ABC, ESPN, NBC, Peacock and USA Network, among others, depending on the night. Out-of-market games stream on WNBA League Pass. Our scores and schedule page lists the date, time and channel for each game, and how to watch covers the TV deals.
Tickets for playoff games and the most popular teams often sell out, so buy early if you want to go in person.
Some names a new fan will hear often are A'ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Caitlin Clark, Sabrina Ionescu, Angel Reese and Kelsey Plum. Our player profiles have more. Players' pregame outfits get a lot of attention online, and our tunnel walks page collects the videos.
For current form, see the news headlines and the video highlights.
The WNBA launched in 1996 and tipped off its first season in 1997, a year after the U.S. women's team won Olympic gold in Atlanta. Eight teams played that first season. Several franchises folded or moved in the 2000s, and the league kept going. Since 2024, college stars who arrived with big followings have pushed TV ratings and attendance to records, and the league is adding five teams between 2025 and 2030.