WNBA teams could play a 44-game schedule in the regular season in 2025, an increase of four per club.
Commissioner Cathy Engelbert confirmed the potential for expansion on Saturday while speaking to reporters before the league’s All-Star Game.
“We’re looking at the footprint for next year,” Engelbert said. “We don’t have an international competition like the FIBA World Cup or the Olympics next year, so we’ll be able to look at our footprint without any interruption or break, like we’re breaking this year.”
The league is off until Aug. 15 because of the Paris Olympics.
Under the current collective bargaining agreement, 44 games are the most allowed per season. Whatever the schedule size, the WNBA soon will need to find room for two more teams, with franchises in Golden State and Toronto coming in 2025 and 2026, respectively.
The WNBA has gained in popularity over the past year, driven in part by the addition of a strong rookie group, headlined by Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. Both were named All-Stars in their first seasons.
“I’ve been so pleased with Caitlin and all of our rookies,” Engelbert said. “A number of new fans we’re able to bring into this league is exponential from my expectations of what we were going to do.
“I think this rookie class has brought a lot of attention and is lifting all of our games and all of our players.”
Engelbert also said it’s possible that some of the games on the schedule will be played in international destinations in upcoming years. She said the WNBA could consider playing in areas from Mexico City to Europe to Asia to the Middle East.
–Field Level Media
