List of WNBA seasons explained

The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) is a professional women's basketball league based in the United States with 12 teams .[1] The league was founded in 1996 by the men's National Basketball Association (NBA) as a wholly-owned subsidiary and began play in the 1997 season with eight teams.[2] [3] WNBA shares the same court dimensions, hoop height, and shot clock length as NBA, but has had shorter quarters of ten minutes each since 2006 and uses a smaller ball to match with international FIBA standards.[1] [4] [5] Full NBA ownership of the league ended in 2002 and new independent ownership groups began investing in franchises; the WNBA has seven teams with independent ownership and five that are under the same ownership as an NBA team and share the same home arena.[3] [6]

The league's 12 teams are organized into the Eastern and Western conferences;[1] a 13th team is scheduled to begin play in the 2025 season.[7] The number of WNBA teams has varied since the league's original eight in 1997 due to expansions and later contractions; the first expansion teams were added in 1998 and were followed by two more rounds of additions that brought the total to 16 teams in 2000. Following the change in NBA ownership in 2002, the WNBA lost two teams. The league lost two more teams by 2006 but expanded to remain at 13 teams. The number of teams has remained at 12 since the Houston Comets ceased operations after the 2008 season.[8]

As of the 28th season in 2024, each team plays 40 games during the regular season, which runs from May to September. The 2024 season includes a month-long break for the Summer Olympic Games that begins after the annual WNBA All-Star Game in mid-July.[9] [10] The summer schedule is mostly played during the NBA offseason, which allows teams to share venues;[11] during the WNBA offseason, many players transfer to overseas leagues that follow a fall and winter schedule.[12] Teams play four games against opponents in the same conference and two teams from the other conference; three games are played against the remaining four teams in the other conference.[13] Five regular season games in early June are played against teams in the same conference to determine qualification for the WNBA Commissioner's Cup, an in-season tournament first played in 2021; the final is hosted by the team with the better win–loss record in qualifying games.[14]

The eight teams with the best regular season records, regardless of conference, qualify for the WNBA playoffs to determine the league's champion in the WNBA Finals. Since 2022, the playoffs have used a best-of-three series in the first round, where teams are seeded based on regular season performance, and a best-of-five format for the semifinals and WNBA Finals.[15] [16] The most successful playoff teams are the Minnesota Lynx, Seattle Storm, and defunct Houston Comets, who have each won four WNBA championships; the Lynx have made six appearances in the WNBA Finals, the most in league history.[17] [18] Three current WNBA teams have yet to win a championship; among them, the New York Liberty has finished as runners-up in five WNBA Finals.[19] [20]

The best regular season performance in league history was set in the 1998 season by the Houston Comets, who finished with a 27–3 win–loss record—a winning percentage of 0.900. The number of games played by WNBA teams has steadily increased since the initial 28-game schedule in the inaugural season; for most of the league's history, teams played 34 games before the schedule was expanded to 36 games in 2022 and 40 games in 2023. The Las Vegas Aces won 34 games during the expanded 2023 season and set a record for most wins in a WNBA season.[21] [22] The WNBA playoffs has also changed its format several times; until 2016, the two conferences were separated until the WNBA Finals. Under the cross-conference format, top-seeded teams received single or double byes and some rounds had single-elimination games instead of a best-of-five series.[23] The format was simplified in 2022 to remove single-elimination rounds and byes.[16]

Seasons

SeasonPlayoffs[24] Regular seasonCommissioner's Cup winner[25]
ChampionRunners-up
19978Houston CometsNew York LibertyHouston Comets28Not established until 2020[26]
199810Houston Comets (2nd title)Phoenix MercuryHouston Comets30[27]
199912Houston Comets (3rd title)New York LibertyHouston Comets32[28]
200016Houston Comets (4th title)New York LibertyLos Angeles Sparks32[29]
200116Los Angeles SparksCharlotte StingLos Angeles Sparks32[30]
200216Los Angeles Sparks (2nd title)New York LibertyLos Angeles Sparks32[31]
200314Detroit ShockLos Angeles SparksDetroit Shock34[32]
200413Seattle StormConnecticut SunLos Angeles Sparks34[33]
200513Sacramento MonarchsConnecticut SunConnecticut Sun34[34]
200614Detroit Shock (2nd title)Sacramento MonarchsConnecticut Sun34[35]
200713Phoenix MercuryDetroit ShockDetroit Shock34[36]
200814Detroit Shock (3rd title)San Antonio Silver StarsSan Antonio Silver Stars34[37]
200913Phoenix Mercury (2nd title)Indiana FeverPhoenix Mercury34[38]
201012Seattle Storm (2nd title)Atlanta DreamSeattle Storm34[39]
201112Minnesota LynxAtlanta DreamMinnesota Lynx34[40]
201212Indiana FeverMinnesota LynxMinnesota Lynx34[41]
201312Minnesota Lynx (2nd title)Atlanta DreamMinnesota Lynx34[42]
201412Phoenix Mercury (3rd title)Chicago SkyPhoenix Mercury34[43]
201512Minnesota Lynx (3rd title)Indiana FeverNew York Liberty34[44]
201612Los Angeles Sparks (3rd title)Minnesota LynxMinnesota Lynx34[45]
201712Minnesota Lynx (4th title)Los Angeles SparksMinnesota Lynx34[46]
201812Seattle Storm (3rd title)Washington MysticsSeattle Storm34[47]
201912Washington MysticsConnecticut SunWashington Mystics34[48]
202012Seattle Storm (4th title)Las Vegas AcesLas Vegas Aces †22Not held[49]
202112Chicago SkyPhoenix MercuryConnecticut Sun32Seattle Storm[50]
202212Las Vegas AcesConnecticut SunLas Vegas Aces36Las Vegas Aces[51]
202312Las Vegas Aces (2nd title)New York LibertyLas Vegas Aces40New York Liberty[52]
20241240Minnesota Lynx[53]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Frequently Asked Questions: WNBA . . January 28, 2024.
  2. News: Hirsch . Lauren . Lowe . Shauntel . February 3, 2022 . W.N.B.A. Raises $75 Million With Hopes of Business Model Revamp . . limited . January 28, 2024.
  3. News: Thompson . Tisha . Voepel . M.A. . M.A. Voepel . October 15, 2021 . WNBA commissioner outlines transformative plan to pivot league from 'survive to thrive' . . January 28, 2024.
  4. News: Carmin . Mike . May 31, 2015 . NCAA women's hoops may become more like WNBA . . January 28, 2024.
  5. Web site: Vocino . Matt . May 24, 2019 . What is the difference between NBA, WNBA, and FIBA basketball rules? . . January 28, 2024.
  6. News: July 13, 2023 . The pros and cons of all 12 WNBA teams' training facilities . ESPN . January 28, 2024.
  7. News: Copeland . Kareem . Boren . Cindy . October 5, 2023 . WNBA adds an expansion team in the San Francisco Bay Area . . limited . January 28, 2024.
  8. News: Hart . Torrey . October 4, 2023 . A history of WNBA expansion as league set to announce Bay Area team . . subscription . January 28, 2024.
  9. News: Pickman . Ben . Merchant . Sabreena . December 18, 2023 . WNBA unveils 2024 schedule with 40 regular-season games, new Commissioner's Cup format . The Athletic . subscription . January 28, 2024.
  10. News: Feinberg . Doug . December 18, 2023 . WNBA to take its usual month-long break for the Olympics . . January 28, 2024.
  11. News: Oram . Bill . November 3, 2023 . WNBA shelves plans to expand to Portland . . January 28, 2024.
  12. News: Merchant . Sabreena . November 22, 2022 . Why some WNBA players are electing against international play this offseason: 'Sometimes it's just not worth it' . The Athletic . subscription . January 28, 2024.
  13. News: Allen . Percy . December 18, 2023 . Here's a look at the Storm's 2024 schedule . . limited . January 28, 2024.
  14. News: Voepel . M.A. . December 18, 2023 . WNBA goes to more compact format for Commissioner's Cup . ESPN . January 28, 2024.
  15. News: Henderson . Cydney . September 12, 2023 . 2023 WNBA playoffs: Finals schedule, scores, matchups and award winners . . January 28, 2024.
  16. News: Allen . Percy . November 18, 2021 . WNBA announces overhaul of playoff format starting in 2022 . The Seattle Times . limited . January 28, 2024.
  17. News: Horrow . Ellen J. . October 6, 2020 . Seattle Storm sweep Las Vegas Aces to win their fourth WNBA championship . USA Today . January 28, 2024.
  18. News: Weisfeld . Oren . May 17, 2023 . WNBA power lies with two superteams. But that's not necessarily a bad thing . . January 28, 2024.
  19. News: Vanoni . Maggie . October 19, 2023 . UConn women's basketball's Kiah Stokes wins second WNBA title as Las Vegas Aces beat NY Liberty . . January 28, 2024.
  20. News: Pickman . Ben . Merchant . Sabreena . October 8, 2023 . 2023 WNBA Finals: How to watch, Aces vs. Liberty season series results and key storylines . The Athletic . subscription . January 28, 2024.
  21. News: Merchant . Sabreena . August 24, 2023 . Aces set WNBA regular-season wins record with victory over Sky . The Athletic . subscription . January 29, 2024.
  22. News: Graham . Bryan Armen . October 19, 2023 . The Las Vegas Aces are the next great American sports dynasty . The Guardian . January 29, 2024.
  23. News: Megdal . Howard . January 28, 2016 . The WNBA Is Reorganizing Its Playoff System. Could the NBA Be Next? . . January 29, 2024.
  24. Web site: WNBA Playoffs Series History . . . January 28, 2024.
  25. Web site: June 2024 . About the 2024 Cup . Women's National Basketball Association . August 18, 2024.
  26. Web site: 1997 WNBA Season Summary . Basketball-Reference.com . Sports Reference . January 28, 2024.
  27. Web site: 1998 WNBA Season Summary . Basketball-Reference.com . Sports Reference . January 28, 2024.
  28. Web site: 1999 WNBA Season Summary . Basketball-Reference.com . Sports Reference . January 28, 2024.
  29. Web site: 2000 WNBA Season Summary . Basketball-Reference.com . Sports Reference . January 28, 2024.
  30. Web site: 2001 WNBA Season Summary . Basketball-Reference.com . Sports Reference . January 28, 2024.
  31. Web site: 2002 WNBA Season Summary . Basketball-Reference.com . Sports Reference . January 28, 2024.
  32. Web site: 2003 WNBA Season Summary . Basketball-Reference.com . Sports Reference . January 28, 2024.
  33. Web site: 2004 WNBA Season Summary . Basketball-Reference.com . Sports Reference . January 28, 2024.
  34. Web site: 2005 WNBA Season Summary . Basketball-Reference.com . Sports Reference . January 28, 2024.
  35. Web site: 2006 WNBA Season Summary . Basketball-Reference.com . Sports Reference . January 28, 2024.
  36. Web site: 2007 WNBA Season Summary . Basketball-Reference.com . Sports Reference . January 28, 2024.
  37. Web site: 2008 WNBA Season Summary . Basketball-Reference.com . Sports Reference . January 28, 2024.
  38. Web site: 2009 WNBA Season Summary . Basketball-Reference.com . Sports Reference . January 28, 2024.
  39. Web site: 2010 WNBA Season Summary . Basketball-Reference.com . Sports Reference . January 28, 2024.
  40. Web site: 2011 WNBA Season Summary . Basketball-Reference.com . Sports Reference . January 28, 2024.
  41. Web site: 2012 WNBA Season Summary . Basketball-Reference.com . Sports Reference . January 28, 2024.
  42. Web site: 2013 WNBA Season Summary . Basketball-Reference.com . Sports Reference . January 28, 2024.
  43. Web site: 2014 WNBA Season Summary . Basketball-Reference.com . Sports Reference . January 28, 2024.
  44. Web site: 2015 WNBA Season Summary . Basketball-Reference.com . Sports Reference . January 28, 2024.
  45. Web site: 2016 WNBA Season Summary . Basketball-Reference.com . Sports Reference . January 28, 2024.
  46. Web site: 2017 WNBA Season Summary . Basketball-Reference.com . Sports Reference . January 28, 2024.
  47. Web site: 2018 WNBA Season Summary . Basketball-Reference.com . Sports Reference . January 28, 2024.
  48. Web site: 2019 WNBA Season Summary . Basketball-Reference.com . Sports Reference . January 28, 2024.
  49. Web site: 2020 WNBA Season Summary . Basketball-Reference.com . Sports Reference . January 28, 2024.
  50. Web site: 2021 WNBA Season Summary . Basketball-Reference.com . Sports Reference . January 28, 2024.
  51. Web site: 2022 WNBA Season Summary . Basketball-Reference.com . Sports Reference . January 28, 2024.
  52. Web site: 2023 WNBA Season Summary . Basketball-Reference.com . Sports Reference . January 28, 2024.
  53. Web site: 2024 WNBA Season Summary . Basketball-Reference.com . Sports Reference . August 5, 2024.

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