- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,189,971
- Reaction score
- 59
The WNBA is expanding its regular-season schedule from 44 games to 50 matchups in 2027, a person with knowledge of the situation told USA TODAY Sports.
"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," league commissioner Cathy Engelbert said.
"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.”
Additional details about the 2027 regular-season schedule, including key dates, will be announced in the coming months.
Over the last several years, the number of regular-season matchups has jumped significantly as interest and investment in the league have grown. In 2022, the WNBA rolled out 36 regular-season games before expanding to 40 for the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Then, in 2025, the number of games jumped to 44.
The latest change to the WNBA's schedule comes nearly three months after the league and its players agreed to a landmark CBA deal.
The CBA includes the WNBA's first $1 million salaries and a new salary cap ($7 million per team, up from $1.5 million in 2025) that's set to increase annually as the league's revenue grows. The agreement also guarantees housing for players for the first three years of the deal. Other key terms of the agreement include an expanded benefits package, a one-time bonus for retired players and a model that prioritizes a road to profitability for owners.
The extra games in the WNBA's regular-season schedule also arrive ahead of the addition of three expansion teams who will join the league over the next four years. Cleveland will tip off in 2028, Detroit in 2029 and Philadelphia in 2030.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: WNBA announces historic 50-game season starting in 2027
Continue reading...
"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," league commissioner Cathy Engelbert said.
"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.”
Additional details about the 2027 regular-season schedule, including key dates, will be announced in the coming months.
Over the last several years, the number of regular-season matchups has jumped significantly as interest and investment in the league have grown. In 2022, the WNBA rolled out 36 regular-season games before expanding to 40 for the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Then, in 2025, the number of games jumped to 44.
The latest change to the WNBA's schedule comes nearly three months after the league and its players agreed to a landmark CBA deal.
The CBA includes the WNBA's first $1 million salaries and a new salary cap ($7 million per team, up from $1.5 million in 2025) that's set to increase annually as the league's revenue grows. The agreement also guarantees housing for players for the first three years of the deal. Other key terms of the agreement include an expanded benefits package, a one-time bonus for retired players and a model that prioritizes a road to profitability for owners.
The extra games in the WNBA's regular-season schedule also arrive ahead of the addition of three expansion teams who will join the league over the next four years. Cleveland will tip off in 2028, Detroit in 2029 and Philadelphia in 2030.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: WNBA announces historic 50-game season starting in 2027
Continue reading...
