The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) is a professional basketball league for women in the United States.
The league was founded in 1996 as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association (NBA). The league began in 1997 with eight teams: the Charlotte Sting, Cleveland Rockers, Houston Comets, New York Liberty, Los Angeles Sparks, Phoenix Mercury, Sacramento Monarchs, and Utah Starzz. The Houston Comets, led by legendary players Cynthia Cooper and Sheryl Swoopes, dominated the early years, winning the first four championships.
Over the years, the WNBA has expanded and contracted, with teams relocating and new franchises being established. The league has faced challenges, including financial difficulties and competition for viewership, but it has persevered and continues to grow in popularity.
While the most obvious difference between the WNBA and the NBA is the gender of the players, other distinctions also set the two leagues apart.
The WNBA features a slightly smaller basketball, 28.5 inches in circumference, compared to the NBA's 29.5-inch ball. The WNBA's three-point line is also closer, at 22 feet, 1.75 inches at the top of the key and 21 feet, 8 inches in the corners, compared to the NBA's 23 feet, 9 inches, and 22 feet, respectively.
Additionally, the WNBA game consists of four 10-minute quarters. In contrast, the NBA has four 12-minute quarters.
One of the most significant differences lies in the financial aspects. WNBA players earn considerably less than their NBA counterparts. This disparity is due to various factors, including revenue generation, sponsorship deals, and media rights.
The NBA enjoys a larger global following and more extensive media coverage than the WNBA. This difference in visibility affects everything from sponsorship deals to fan engagement.
As of the 2025 season, the WNBA has thirteen teams, with the addition of the Golden State Valyries as an expansion team. These teams are divided into six Eastern and seven Western Conference teams. However, the 2026 season is expected to include two additional teams: the Toronto Tempo and a yet-to-be-named Portland, Oregon franchise.
Currently, the WNBA's Eastern Conference consists of the Atlanta Dream, Chicago Sky, Connecticut Sun, Indiana Fever, New York Liberty, and Washington Mystics, while its Western Conference has the Dallas Wings, Golden State Valkyries, Las Vegas Aces, Los Angeles Sparks, Minnesota Lynx, Phoenix Mercury, and Seattle Storm. In 2026, the Toronto Tempo will join the Eastern Conference, and the Portland, Oregon team will join the Western Conference.
The WNBA's season typically begins in May and concludes in September, culminating in the playoffs and the WNBA Finals. The regular season consists of 40 games per team, although this is not a firm number. Teams compete for playoff berths, with the postseason featuring a structured bracket that determines the league champion.
The All-Star Game, held mid-season, celebrates the league's talent and serves as a showcase for fans. Additionally, the Commissioner's Cup--a mid-season tournament introduced in 2021--adds another layer to the competition, including financial incentives for players.
Topics related to the WNBA are appropriate for this category, with those relating to any of the WNBA teams will be featured in a subcategory.
Categories
WNBA Teams |
Recommended Resources
ESPN is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company and Hearst Communications. Its coverage of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) includes a free agency tracker, scores, schedules, standings, statistics, and individual stories of each of its teams, divided by conference. Odds, transactions, and information on where to watch WNBC games, WNBC Finals, drafts, and futures are included. Top headlines are featured.
https://www.espn.com/wnba/
The official WNBA website lists statistics for the Women's National Basketball Association. Player statistics, team statistics, scores, schedules, and standings are included. Featured are nightly leaders in points, rebounds, assists, blocks, steals, turnovers, three-pointers made, free throws made, and fantasy points, as well as season leaders in points, rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals per game, field goal percentages, three pointers made, three point percentages, and fantasy points.
https://stats.wnba.com/
Women's National Basketball Association
The WNBA is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. It currently has thirteen teams, which are slated to increase to fifteen in 2026. The WNBA was founded in 1996 as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association (NBA). The league discusses schedules, standings, statistics, teams, players, expansions, and free agencies. Fans can sign up for monthly or annual passes to watch live out-of-market games, games on-demand, and archived games.
https://www.wnba.com/
