Ayrton Oneill
The WNBA, or Women's National Basketball Association, season usually runs from mid-May to late September, with the playoffs and finals extending into October. The 2024 WNBA season, which was the 28th season, began on May 14 and ended on September 19. The playoffs began on September 22, and the finals, between the New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx, commenced on October 10, with the Liberty winning their first WNBA title. The 2025 season is set to start in mid-May, with key dates including the WNBA Draft on April 14 and the start of the regular season on May 16.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| 2025 Key Dates | All qualifying offers and core player designations delivered (January 11-20); Player Negotiating period begins (January 21); Player Contracts may be signed (February 1); Pre-Season Coaches Meeting (April 3); WNBA Draft (April 14); Training Camp Begins (April 27); Regular Season Begins (May 16) |
| 2024 Season | Regular season: May 14-September 19; Commissioner's Cup: June 1-25; All-Star Game: July 20; Playoffs: began September 22; Finals: began October 10 |
| 2024 Draft | The Indiana Fever won the first pick |
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What You'll Learn
The 2024 WNBA season
The 2024 WNBA Commissioner's Cup was held from June 1 to 25, adding further excitement to the season. The All-Star Game, a highlight of the WNBA calendar, took place on July 20, 2024, at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona. This mid-season showcase of the league's top talent is always a highly anticipated event.
The 2024 WNBA draft, a key moment in the league's calendar, was held on April 15, 2024. The Indiana Fever secured the first pick in the weighted draft lottery, marking the second consecutive year that Indiana had achieved this feat. The Los Angeles Sparks, Phoenix Mercury, and Seattle Storm followed in the draft order. The draft is a crucial moment for teams to shape their rosters and welcome new talent into the league.
The free agency negotiation period began on January 21, 2024, with teams officially signing players from February 1 onwards. The 2024 season also witnessed several notable retirements. On April 15, Tianna Hawkins announced her retirement after a decade-long career, during which she played for the Seattle Storm, Atlanta Dream, and Washington Mystics. Epiphanny Prince, a four-time WNBA champion, announced her retirement on April 23 via Instagram. On April 28, the league bid farewell to Candace Parker, a two-time MVP and seven-time All-Star, who concluded her illustrious sixteen-year career.
The 2024 WNBA Playoffs tipped off on September 22, with the WNBA Finals commencing on October 10 between the New York Liberty and the Minnesota Lynx. The New York Liberty emerged victorious, clinching their first-ever WNBA title on October 20. The 2024 WNBA season concluded with the Liberty's historic championship win, marking the end of a thrilling season that showcased the incredible talent and growing popularity of the league.
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Key dates for the 2025 season
The 2025 WNBA season will be an exciting one, with key dates already announced. The season will tip off on Friday, May 16, with the regular season concluding on Thursday, September 11. This will be followed by the WNBA Playoffs presented by Google.
The season will see the debut of the Golden State Valkyries, the WNBA's newest team. Their roster was assembled beginning with the expansion draft on Friday, December 6, 2024. The lottery to determine the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 draft was held on Sunday, November 17, 2024. The 2025 WNBA draft was then held on Monday, April 14, 2025.
The regular season will feature a record-high 44 games per team, with 22 home games and 22 road games. The fifth annual WNBA Commissioner's Cup, presented by Coinbase, will be held from June 1-17 and will feature a 17-day period of Cup games only.
The 2025 AT&T WNBA All-Star Game will be played on Saturday, July 19, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, home of the Indiana Fever. This will be the first time Indianapolis has hosted the league's midseason showcase.
ESPN and ABC will broadcast the regular season, with expanded coverage across ESPN, ABC, Disney+, ESPN+, and ESPN Deportes (Spanish).
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The Commissioner's Cup
The WNBA Commissioner's Cup is an annual in-season competition. The team from each conference with the top record in designated "Cup games" competes for the Commissioner's Cup title and a special prize pool. Beginning in 2024, each team will play a total of five Commissioner's Cup games, one against each of its in-conference rivals. All games will be played during a two-week period, with teams playing either three Cup games at home and two on the road, or two at home and three on the road. All Cup games will count toward the team's regular-season win-loss record.
The Cup restores the Eastern–Western Conference rivalry that the WNBA used in its playoff tournament until the 2015 WNBA Playoffs. The first Commissioner's Cup Final game was held at Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona. The total compensation tops out at $500,000, with the winning team making around $30,000 per player and the game's MVP taking home an additional $5,000. On the losing team, players earn $10,000 each. The winning team also receives the Commissioner's Cup Trophy.
Coinbase has committed an additional $120,000 in cryptocurrency to the prize pool, which includes $5,000 for each player in the championship game. The Commissioner’s Cup provides a platform through which the league makes charitable contributions to non-profit organizations aligned with the players' social justice work.
Home-court hosting of the Commissioner's Cup Championship game is awarded to the conference winner with the higher winning percentage in all games played. If both conference winners have the same winning percentage, a tiebreaker procedure is used to determine which team will host the Championship game. The tiebreaker procedure includes the average point differential in all games played and the head-to-head record.
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The WNBA All-Star Game
The first WNBA All-Star Game was held in 1999. The game is usually not held during Olympic years, such as 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016, as many WNBA players participate in the Olympics. There was also no official All-Star Game in 2010 and 2020. In 2010, an exhibition game was played between the USA national team and a team of WNBA All-Stars, with the USA winning 99-72. The Western Conference leads the overall series, having won 10 out of 14 games.
The WNBA All-Star Weekend features other competitions beyond the main game. The Three-Point Contest, previously known as the Three-Point Shootout, has been a part of the All-Star event from 2006 to 2010 and again from 2017 onwards. The Skills Challenge, an obstacle course testing players' dribbling, passing, and shooting skills, has been held during various years, including 2006, 2007, 2010, 2019, and 2022 to 2024.
The 21st edition of the WNBA All-Star Game will take place on Saturday, July 19, 2025, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, marking the first time the city will host the event. The skills competitions will be held on Friday, July 12, and fans will also be able to enjoy WNBA Live, a two-day celebration of the intersection of the WNBA with sport, fashion, music, and culture.
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The WNBA draft
The draft is a crucial event for the league and its teams, as it is the primary method for adding new talent to the league. It is also an important opportunity for the players selected, as it marks the beginning of their professional careers. For this reason, the WNBA Draft is a highly anticipated event, with extensive media coverage and analysis.
Some of the notable number-one overall picks in the WNBA Draft include Diana Taurasi (2004), Sue Bird (2002), and Maya Moore (2011). These players have gone on to have highly successful careers in the WNBA and have become household names in the world of women's basketball.
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Frequently asked questions
The WNBA season typically begins in mid-May, with the regular season usually ending in mid-September.
The WNBA draft usually takes place in April, with the 2024 draft held on April 15.
The WNBA All-Star Game is typically held in July, with the 2024 game taking place on July 20.
The WNBA playoffs usually start in late September, with the 2024 playoffs beginning on September 22.
