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WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert says the league’s regular-season schedule could expand from 40 to 44 games ahead of the 2025 season, per ESPN’s Alexa Philippou.
“We’re looking at the footprint for next year,” Engelbert said, per Philippou. “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 four-game increase could coincide with the inaugural season of the league’s 13th team, the Golden State Valkyries.
A 44-game season is the maximum allowed under the WNBA’s current CBA. Players could vote in November to opt out of the agreement, however, and the deal would then expire following the 2025 season.
The Chicago Sky was the first team to publicly share the news of the possible schedule expansion.
According to Front Office Sports’ Margaret Fleming and the Chicago Sun-Times’ Annie Costabile, the team told season ticket holders when announcing higher 2025 prices earlier this week that the Sky would be playing more home games next season.
“We are expecting approval on a 44-game schedule (22 home games) + a preseason game. Your 2025 season ticket invoice reflects this addition,” the Sky’s email read.
Engelbert’s comment confirms that the WNBA is at least considering this change, at least in the short term.
Kareem Copeland reported in June for the Washington Post that the players are “expected to opt out” of the current CBA when they get the chance in November.
That could lead to the WNBA schedule changing again heading into 2026, especially considering a 14th team in Toronto is expected to join the league prior to the season.
The WNBA is currently in its second 40-game season after expanding the league’s schedule most recently in 2023.
Prior to 2023, the league fluctuated between 30 and 26 games since 1998, excluding the shortened season in 2020. Expanding to 44 games next spring would mark the longest WNBA schedule in league history.
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