INDIANA — The Women’s National Basketball Association is officially lengthening its calendar. In a move that highlights the sport’s meteoric rise, the league announced Wednesday that it will expand its regular-season schedule to a record-high 50 games per team starting in 2027.
The decision comes amid unprecedented growth in viewership, attendance, and corporate partnership over the last few seasons.
“Demand for the WNBA has never been greater, and expanding to a 50-game regular season reflects the extraordinary momentum we are seeing across the league,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a news release. “This move reflects our commitment to growing the game and creating more opportunities for fans to watch the best players in the world and experience the extraordinary talent and competition that define the WNBA.”
A Rapidly Evolving Calendar
The jump to 50 games marks the second major scheduling expansion for the league in recent years. The WNBA’s calendar has evolved rapidly to keep pace with its booming popularity:
- Pre-2025: 40-game regular season.
- 2025–2026: Expanded to 44 games.
- 2027: Set to debut the 50-game format.
The extra games will give franchises more home-court dates to meet the skyrocketing ticket demand while offering broadcast partners significantly more live content.
Details regarding how the extended schedule will impact the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup, the Olympic break in relevant years, or the overall timeline of the postseason will be finalized and announced at a later date.
