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Wikipedia

Women's National Basketball Association

May 10, 2023

"WNBA" redirects here. For other uses, see WNBA (disambiguation).

The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) is an American professional basketball league.

Women's National Basketball Association
Current season, competition or edition:
2023 WNBA season
SportBasketball
FoundedApril 22, 1996; 27 years ago (1996-04-22)
FounderDavid Stern
Inaugural season1997
CommissionerCathy Engelbert
MottoWatch Me Work
No. of teams12
CountryUnited States
HeadquartersNew York City
Most recent
champion(s)		Las Vegas Aces
(1st title)
Most titlesHouston Comets
Minnesota Lynx
Seattle Storm
(4 titles each)
TV partner(s)
Official websiteWNBA.com

It is composed of twelve teams, all based in the United States. The league was founded on April 22, 1996, as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association (NBA), and league play started in 1997. The regular season is played from May to September, with the All Star game being played midway through the season in July (except in Olympic years) and the WNBA Finals at the end of September until the beginning of October.

Five WNBA teams have direct NBA counterparts and normally play in the same arena: Indiana Fever, Los Angeles Sparks, Minnesota Lynx, New York Liberty, and Phoenix Mercury. The Atlanta Dream, Chicago Sky, Connecticut Sun, Dallas Wings, Las Vegas Aces, Seattle Storm, and Washington Mystics do not share an arena with a direct NBA counterpart, although four of the seven (the Dream, the Sky, the Wings, and the Mystics) share a market with an NBA counterpart, two (Mystics and Dream) play in NBA G League arenas, while the Storm shared an arena and market with an NBA team, the SuperSonics, at the time of its founding. The Dream, Sky, Sun, Wings, Aces, Sparks, and Storm are all independently owned. The Aces are owned by Mark Davis, who also owns the Las Vegas Raiders of the NFL.

History

League founded and play begins (1996–97)

The creation of the WNBA was officially approved by the NBA Board of Governors on April 24, 1996,[1] and announced at a press conference with Rebecca Lobo, Lisa Leslie, and Sheryl Swoopes in attendance.[2] The new WNBA had to compete with the recently formed American Basketball League, another professional women's basketball league that began play in the fall of 1996 but would cease operation during its 1998–99 season.

The WNBA began with eight teams: the Charlotte Sting, Cleveland Rockers, Houston Comets, and New York Liberty in the Eastern Conference; and the Los Angeles Sparks, Phoenix Mercury, Sacramento Monarchs, and Utah Starzz in the Western Conference.[3]

While not the first major women's professional basketball league in the United States (a distinction held by the defunct WBL), the WNBA is the only league to receive full backing of the NBA.[4] The WNBA logo, "Logo Woman", paralleled the NBA logo and was selected out of 50 different designs.[3]

On the heels of a much-publicized gold medal run by the 1996 USA Basketball Women's National Team at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games, the WNBA began its first season on June 21, 1997, to little fanfare. The first WNBA game featured the New York Liberty facing the Los Angeles Sparks in Los Angeles. The game was televised nationally in the United States on the NBC television network. At the start of the 1997 season, the WNBA had television deals in place with NBC (NBA rights holder), and the Walt Disney Company and Hearst Corporation joint venture channels, ESPN and Lifetime Television Network, respectively. Penny Toler scored the league's first point.[5][6]

Houston domination and league expansion (1997–2000)

The WNBA centered its marketing campaign, dubbed "We Got Next", around stars Rebecca Lobo, Lisa Leslie, and Sheryl Swoopes.[7] In the league's first season, Leslie's Los Angeles Sparks underperformed, and Swoopes sat out much of the season due to her pregnancy. The WNBA's true star in 1997 was WNBA MVP Cynthia Cooper, Swoopes' teammate on the Houston Comets. The Comets defeated Lobo's New York Liberty in the first WNBA Championship game. The initial "We Got Next" advertisement ran before each WNBA season until it was replaced with the "We Got Game" campaign.

 
Sheryl Swoopes, the first player signed (shown in 2008)

Two teams were added in 1998 (Detroit and Washington),[8] and two more were added in 1999 (Orlando and Minnesota), bringing the number of teams in the league up to twelve.[9] The 1999 season began with a collective bargaining agreement between players and the league,[10] marking the first collective bargaining agreement to be signed in the history of women's professional sports.[11] The WNBA also announced in 1999 that it would add four more teams for the 2000 season (the Indiana Fever, the Seattle Storm, the Miami Sol, and the Portland Fire), bringing the league up to 16 teams, with WNBA President Val Ackerman discussing expansion: "This won't be the end of it. We expect to keep growing the league."[12]

In 1999, the league's chief competition, the American Basketball League, folded. Many of the ABL's star players, including several Olympic gold medalists (such as Nikki McCray and Dawn Staley) and a number of standout college performers (including Kate Starbird and Jennifer Rizzotti), then joined the rosters of WNBA teams and, in so doing, enhanced the overall quality of play in the league. When a lockout resulted in an abbreviated NBA season, the WNBA saw faltering TV viewership.

On May 23, 2000, the Houston Comets became the first WNBA team to be invited to the White House Rose Garden. Before this invitation, only men's sports teams had traveled to the White House.

At the end of the 2000 season, the Houston Comets won their fourth championship, capturing every title since the league's inception. Led by the "Big Three" of Sheryl Swoopes, Tina Thompson, and four-time Finals MVP Cynthia Cooper, the Comets dominated every team in the league. Under head coach Van Chancellor, the team posted a 98–24 record through their first four seasons (16–3 in the Playoffs). After 2000, Cooper retired from the league, and the Comets' dynasty came to an end.

The L.A. Sparks; new league ownership and contraction (2001–2002)

 
Lisa Leslie of the Sparks

The top contender in the 2001 season was the Los Angeles Sparks. Led by Lisa Leslie, the Sparks posted a regular-season record of 28–4. They advanced to their first ever WNBA Finals and swept the Charlotte Sting.

Looking to repeat in 2002, the Sparks again made a strong run toward the postseason, going 25–7 in the regular season under head coach Michael Cooper, formerly of the Los Angeles Lakers. Again, Leslie dominated opponents throughout the Playoffs, leading the Sparks to a perfect 6–0 record through all three rounds, beating the New York Liberty in the 2002 Finals.

Teams and the league were collectively owned by the NBA until the end of 2002, when the NBA sold WNBA teams either to their NBA counterparts in the same city or to a third party as a result of the dot-com bubble. This led to two teams moving: Utah moved to San Antonio, and Orlando moved to Connecticut and became the first WNBA team to be owned by a third party instead of an NBA franchise. This sale of teams also led to two teams folding, the Miami Sol and Portland Fire, because new owners could not be found.

Bill Laimbeer leaves his mark (2003–2006)

The Women's National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) threatened to strike in 2003 if a new deal was not worked out between players and the league. The result was a delay in the start of the 2003 preseason. The 2003 WNBA Draft was also delayed, and negative publicity was gained from this strike.[13]

After taking over a struggling franchise in 2002, former Detroit Pistons forward Bill Laimbeer had high hopes for the Detroit Shock in 2003. The team was just 9–23 in 2002. The Shock had three all-stars in the 2003 All-Star Game (Swin Cash, Cheryl Ford, and Deanna Nolan). Laimbeer orchestrated a worst-to-first turnaround and the Shock finished the season 25–9 in first place in the Eastern Conference. Winning the first two rounds of the Playoffs, the Shock faced two-time champion Los Angeles Sparks and Lisa Leslie in the 2003 Finals. The Shock beat the Sparks, winning game three on a three-pointer by Deanna Nolan.

 
Bill Laimbeer

After the 2003 season, the Cleveland Rockers, one of the league's original eight teams, folded because the owners were unwilling to continue operating the franchise.

Val Ackerman, the first WNBA president, resigned effective February 1, 2005, citing the desire to spend more time with her family. Ackerman later became president of USA Basketball. On February 15, 2005, NBA Commissioner David Stern announced that Donna Orender, who had been serving as the Senior Vice President of the PGA Tour and who had played for several teams in the now-defunct Women's Pro Basketball League, would be Ackerman's successor as of April 2005.

The WNBA awarded an expansion team to Chicago (later named the Sky) in February 2006. In the off-season, a set of rule changes was approved that made the WNBA more like the NBA.[14]

In 2006, the league became the first team-oriented women's professional sports league to exist for ten consecutive seasons.[15] On the occasion of the tenth anniversary, the WNBA released its All-Decade Team, comprising the ten WNBA players to have contributed, through on-court play and off-court activities, the most to women's basketball during the league's existence.

After missing out on the Finals in 2004 and 2005, the Shock bounced back in 2006 behind newly acquired Katie Smith, along with six remaining members from their 2003 Finals run (Cash, Ford, Holland-Corn, Nolan, Powell, and Riley). The Shock finished second in the Eastern Conference and knocked off first-seeded Connecticut in the second round of the Playoffs. The Shock faced reigning champion Sacramento Monarchs in a five-game series. The Shock won game five on their home floor.

Bringing "Paul Ball" to the WNBA (2007–2009)

 
Diana Taurasi of the Mercury

In December 2006, the Charlotte Bobcats organization announced it would no longer operate the Charlotte Sting. Soon after, the WNBA announced that the Sting would not operate for 2007. A dispersal draft was held on January 8, 2007. Teams selected in inverse order of their 2006 records; Chicago received the first pick.

Former Los Angeles Lakers championship coach Paul Westhead was named head coach of the Phoenix Mercury on October 11, 2005, bringing his up-tempo style of play to the WNBA. This fast-paced offense was perfect for his team, especially after the league shortened the shot clock from 30 seconds to 24 seconds in 2006. Much like the early Houston Comets championship teams, the Phoenix Mercury had risen to prominence led by their own "Big Three" of Cappie Pondexter, Diana Taurasi, and Penny Taylor.

The Mercury was well-suited for the fast offense behind these three players. Phoenix averaged a league-record 88.97 points per game in 2007; teams could not keep up with the new style of play, and the Mercury were propelled into first place in the Western Conference. Facing the reigning champion Detroit Shock, the Mercury imposed their high-scoring offense with hopes of capturing their first title in franchise history. Averaging 93.2 points per game in the Finals series, the Mercury beat Detroit on their home floor in front of 22,076 fans in game five to claim their first-ever WNBA title.

In October 2007 the WNBA awarded another expansion franchise to Atlanta. Atlanta businessman Ron Terwilliger was the original owner of the new team. Citizens of Atlanta were able to vote for their choices for the new team's nickname and colors.[16] The Dream, as they were named, played their first regular-season game on May 17, which was a loss to the Connecticut Sun.

Paul Westhead resigned from the Mercury after capturing the 2007 title and Penny Taylor opted to stay home to prepare for the 2008 Summer Olympics, causing the Mercury to falter in 2008. The team posted a 16–18 record and became the first team in WNBA history to miss the Playoffs after winning the championship in the previous season. In their place, the Detroit Shock won their third championship under coach Bill Laimbeer, solidifying their place in WNBA history before Laimbeer resigned early in 2009, effectively ending the Shock dynasty.

During the 2008 regular season, the first-ever outdoor professional basketball game in North America was played at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City.[17][18] The Indiana Fever defeated the New York Liberty 71–55 in front of over 19,000 fans.

Late in 2008, the WNBA took over ownership of one of the league's original franchises, the Houston Comets. The Comets ceased operations on December 1, 2008, after no owners for the franchise could be found.[19] A dispersal draft took place on December 8, 2008, and with the first pick, Sancho Lyttle was taken by the Atlanta Dream.

After an unsatisfying conclusion in 2008, the Mercury looked to bounce back to championship caliber. New head coach Corey Gaines implemented Paul Westhead's style of play, and the Mercury averaged 92.82 points per game throughout the 2009 season. Helped by the return of Penny Taylor, the Mercury once again locked up first place in the Western Conference and advanced to the 2009 Finals. The championship series was a battle of contrasting styles as the Mercury (number one league offense, 92.82 points per game) had to face the Indiana Fever (number three league defense, 73.55 points per game). The series went five games, including arguably one of the most thrilling games in WNBA history in game one of the series (Phoenix won in overtime, . The Mercury beat the Fever in game five, this time on their home court, to capture their second WNBA championship.

Not only did Paul Westhead's system influence his Mercury team, but it created a domino effect throughout the league. Young athletic players were capable of scoring more and playing at a faster pace. As a league, the 2010 average of 80.35 points per game was the best, far surpassing the 69.2 average in the league's inaugural season.

Changing of the guard (2010–2012)

 
Sylvia Fowles of the Sky

On October 20, 2009, the WNBA announced that the Detroit Shock would relocate to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to become the Tulsa Shock.[20] On November 20, 2009, the WNBA announced that the Sacramento Monarchs had folded due to lack of support from its current owners, the Maloof family, who were also the owners of the Sacramento Kings at the time. The league announced it would seek new owners to relocate the team to the San Francisco Bay area; however, no ownership was found and a dispersal draft was held on December 14, 2009.

The 2010 season saw a tight race in the East, with three teams being tied for first place on the final day of the regular season. Five of the six teams in the East were in first place at some point during the season. The East held a .681 winning percentage over the West, its highest ever. In the 2010 Finals, two new teams represented each conference: the Seattle Storm and the Atlanta Dream. Seattle made their first finals appearance since winning it all in 2004, and Atlanta, coming into the playoffs as a four seed, impressively swept its opponents in the first two rounds to advance to the Finals in only the third year of the team's existence.

After the 2010 season, President Orender announced she would be resigning from her position as of December 31. On April 21, 2011, NBA commissioner David Stern announced that former Girl Scouts of the USA Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Laurel J. Richie would assume duties as president on May 16, 2011.

The 2011 season began with strong publicity helped by the rising young stars of the league and the NBA lockout.[21] The 2011 NBA lockout began on July 1, 2011. Unlike the previous lockout, which affected the WNBA, president Laurel J. Richie confirmed that this lockout would not affect the WNBA. If the NBA season was shortened or canceled, the 2012 WNBA season (including the WNBA teams still owned by NBA owners) would run as planned. The lockout ended on November 26, and NBA teams would play a 66-game regular season following the lockout.

Many news outlets began covering the league more frequently. NBA TV, the television home of the NBA scheduled over 70 regular-season games to be televised (along with a dozen more on ESPN2 and ABC). The new influx of young talent into the league gave many teams something to be excited about. Players like Candace Parker of the Sparks, Maya Moore of the Lynx, DeWanna Bonner of the Mercury, Angel McCoughtry of the Dream, Sylvia Fowles of the Sky, Tina Charles of the Sun, and Liz Cambage of the Shock brought a new level of excitement to the game, adding talent to the teams of young veterans such as Diana Taurasi, Seimone Augustus and Cappie Pondexter. The level of play seemed to be evidenced by higher scoring, better defense, and higher shooting percentages. By the end of the 2011 regular season, nine of the twelve teams in the league had increased attendance over their 2010 averages.[22]

Connecticut Sun center Tina Charles set a league record for double-doubles in a season with 23. Also, Sylvia Fowles of the Chicago Sky became only the second player in WNBA history to finish a season averaging at least 20 points (20.0ppg) and 10 rebounds (10.2rpg) per game. The San Antonio Silver Stars experienced boosts from their young players as well; rookie Danielle Adams scored 32 points off the bench in June and fellow rookie Danielle Robinson had a 36-point game in September. Atlanta Dream forward Angel McCoughtry was the first player in league history to average over 20 points per game (21.6ppg) while playing under 30 minutes per game (27.9mpg).

McCoughtry led her team to the Finals for the second straight year, but despite breaking her own Finals scoring record, the Dream was swept for the second straight year, this time by the Minnesota Lynx, which won its first title behind a fully healthy Seimone Augustus.

2012 featured a long Olympic break. The Indiana Fever won that year's WNBA championship.

The Three to See (2013)

The much-publicized 2013 WNBA Draft produced Baylor University star Brittney Griner, Delaware's Elena Delle Donne, and Notre Dame All American Skylar Diggins (now Diggins-Smith) as the top three picks, the draft was the first to be televised in primetime on ESPN. Griner, Delle Donne, and Diggins have thus been labeled "The Three To See", but with the draft also came standouts such as Tayler Hill, Layshia Clarendon and Alex Bentley. The retirement of legends Katie Smith, Tina Thompson, Ticha Penicheiro, and Sheryl Swoopes coupled with the arrival of highly touted rookies and new rule changes effectively marked the end of an era for the WNBA and the ushering of another.[citation needed]

On the court, the Minnesota Lynx won their second title in three years, defeating the Atlanta Dream in the Finals and becoming the first team to sweep the playoff since the Seattle Storm.

The promotion of Griner, Delle Donne, and Diggins helped boost television ratings for the league by 28 percent, and half of the teams ended the season profitable.[23][24] The improved health of the league was on display after the season, when the Los Angeles Sparks' ownership group folded; it took the league only a few weeks to line up Guggenheim Partners to purchase the team, and the franchise also garnered interest from the ownership of the Golden State Warriors.

Two more franchise relocations happened in the following years, as the Tulsa Shock moved in 2016 to the Dallas–Fort Worth region in Texas, being renamed Dallas Wings,[25] and in 2018 the San Antonio Stars went to Nevada, becoming the Las Vegas Aces.[26]

New CBA and Commissioner's Cup plans (2020)

During the 2018 season, the WNBA players' union opted out of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the league, which then ended after the 2019 season. In January 2020, the league and union announced that they had reached an agreement on a new CBA to take effect with the 2020 season and running through 2027. Among the features of the new agreement were:[27][28]

  • Total player compensation increased by slightly over 50%. While most of this increase went to star players, all players benefited to some degree, and both sides were interested mainly in limiting, if not eliminating, overseas play by the league's top players.
  • Players are able to reach unrestricted free agency a year earlier than before. The previous CBA allowed a team to designate a player as "core"—similar to the NFL's franchise tag—four times. This dropped to three in 2020 and will drop further to two in 2022.
  • All player air travel to regular-season games is, at a minimum, premium economy class. Also, each player has her own hotel room for road games.
  • Players receive their full salary while on maternity leave. Additionally, an annual childcare stipend of $5,000 per player is provided; teams must make apartments of at least two bedrooms available to players with children, and add facilities for nursing mothers; and the league offers family planning benefits that allow up to a $60,000 reimbursement for veteran players for expenses related to adoption, surrogacy, embryo preservation, or infertility treatment.
  • The CBA is transitioning toward severely penalizing veteran players for late arrival at WNBA training camps. By the sixth year of the CBA, players with more than 2 years of service who miss the start of training camp will be suspended for the season. Exceptions include serious injury, national team commitments for non-US players, college graduations, and other significant life events.
  • The CBA also addressed the issue of players serving on NBA coaching staffs during the traditional basketball season. This came to a head during the 2019 offseason when the Washington Wizards, owned by the same company that owns the WNBA's Mystics, hired Mystics player Kristi Toliver as an assistant. Under the previous CBA, teams were allowed only $50,000 per year to allocate to players as an enticement to not play overseas. Because of the Mystics' and Wizards' shared ownership, the Wizards could only pay Toliver from the Mystics' $50,000 allocation—most of which had already been committed to Elena Delle Donne, a player who normally does not go overseas. With the new CBA, veteran players can work as coaches in the NBA without a salary limit, regardless of the team's ownership structure.

Also in January 2020, the WNBA announced a new in-season tournament, the Commissioner's Cup, which would begin with the 2020 season. Each team was scheduled to play 10 Cup games during the season: specifically, the first home and road games against each team in its conference. The final Cup games were to be played in July, with the top team in the Cup standings from each conference advancing to a one-off Cup final in August.[29]

The 2020 WNBA schedule originally included a month-long break in July and August to allow players to participate in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The 2020 games were postponed until 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, rendering the break unnecessary. On April 3, 2020, the WNBA announced that the beginning of its own schedule would be postponed. The 2020 entry draft took place as originally scheduled on April 17, although it was done remotely.[30] No details of the revised schedule were announced as of the time of the draft, and the Commissioner's Cup was ultimately not held in 2020.

2020 season at IMG Academy

In June 2020, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced plans for the league to have a 22-game regular season, and a traditional playoff format, to be held exclusively at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. The players were housed at the Bradenton complex, and all games and practices took place there. Players had until June 25 to let their teams know whether they planned to participate.[31]

'Count It' campaign celebrating 25th anniversary (2021)

On March 15, 2021, an announcement was made that the WNBA would introduce a ceremonial logo, basketball, and uniforms as part of its 25th anniversary celebratory campaign called 'Count It'.[32] Also as part of the campaign, the league unveiled The W25, consisting of 25 players determined to be the league's greatest and most influential, as chosen by a panel made up of media and pioneering women's players.[33]

The delayed launch of the Commissioner's Cup was officially announced on May 12, 2021, two days before the start of the regular season. The originally planned schedule, with the first home game and first road game of each team against each of its fellow conference members doubling as Cup games, was maintained. All Cup games within each conference were played before the league took its Olympic break after July 11. The Cup final, officially termed the Commissioner's Cup Championship Game, involves the conference leaders in the Cup standings; its first edition was held on August 12 as the league's first game after the Olympic break, and was streamed via Amazon Prime Video. A prize pool of $500,000 is provided for the Cup, with players on the winning team guaranteed a minimum bonus of $30,000 and those of the losing team guaranteed $10,000, and the championship game MVP receiving an extra $5,000.[34]

Teams

The WNBA originated with 8 teams in 1997, and through a sequence of expansions, contractions, and relocations currently consists of 12 teams. There have been a total of 18 franchises in WNBA history.

As of the league's most recent 2022 season, the Las Vegas Aces (formerly the Utah Starzz and San Antonio (Silver) Stars), Los Angeles Sparks, New York Liberty, and Phoenix Mercury are the only remaining franchises that were founded in 1997.

Arenas listed below reflect those expected to be used in the league's next season in 2023.

Conference Team City Arena Capacity Joined Head coach
Eastern
Atlanta Dream College Park, Georgia Gateway Center Arena 3,500 2008 Tanisha Wright
Chicago Sky Chicago, Illinois Wintrust Arena 10,387 2006 James Wade
Connecticut Sun Uncasville, Connecticut Mohegan Sun Arena 9,323 1999* Stephanie White
Indiana Fever Indianapolis, Indiana Gainbridge Fieldhouse 17,923 2000 Christie Sides
New York Liberty Brooklyn, New York Barclays Center 17,732[a] 1997 Sandy Brondello
Washington Mystics Washington, D.C. Entertainment and Sports Arena 4,200 1998 Eric Thibault
Western
Dallas Wings Arlington, Texas College Park Center 7,000 1998* Latricia Trammell
Las Vegas Aces Paradise, Nevada Michelob Ultra Arena 12,000 1997* Becky Hammon[35]
Los Angeles Sparks Los Angeles, California Crypto.com Arena 18,997 1997 Curt Miller
Minnesota Lynx Minneapolis, Minnesota Target Center 19,356 1999 Cheryl Reeve
Phoenix Mercury Phoenix, Arizona Footprint Center 18,422 1997 Vanessa Nygaard
Seattle Storm Seattle, Washington Climate Pledge Arena 18,100 2000 Noelle Quinn

An asterisk (*) in the table above denotes a franchise move,see the respective team articles for more information.

Notes
  1. ^ Full capacity; the Liberty initially planned to limit ticket sales to 8,000.

Relationship with NBA teams

Six WNBA teams are associated with an NBA team from the same market and are known as sister teams. These teams include the Brooklyn Nets and New York Liberty, the Indiana Pacers and Fever, the Los Angeles Lakers and Sparks, the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx, the Phoenix Suns and Mercury, and the Washington Wizards and Mystics. Of these teams, only the Sparks have completely separate ownership. The Liberty had been associated with the New York Knicks, having been owned by the Knicks' parent company, The Madison Square Garden Company,[36][37] but the team was sold in January 2019 to a group led by Joseph Tsai, then a minority owner of the Nets[38] and now sole owner of that team.[39] Through the 2017 season, the San Antonio Spurs and Stars were also paired, but that relationship ended in October 2017 when the Stars were bought by MGM Resorts International and moved to Las Vegas.[40]

Three WNBA teams are in the same market as an NBA team but are not affiliated. Though located in the same market, the Chicago Sky is not affiliated with the Bulls, as evidenced by their differing home arenas: the Sky play at Wintrust Arena in Chicago's Near South Side, while the Bulls play at United Center in the city's Near West Side. The Dallas Wings, which had been the Tulsa Shock before moving to the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex after the 2015 season, are not affiliated with the existing NBA team in the Metroplex, the Dallas Mavericks. As with the Sky and Bulls, the Wings and Mavericks play in different areas, with the Wings playing at College Park Center in Arlington as opposed to the Mavericks playing in downtown Dallas at American Airlines Center. While the Atlanta Dream shared State Farm Arena with the Hawks from the Dream's inception in 2008 to 2016 and again in 2019, the Hawks never held any ownership stake in the WNBA team.

The remaining WNBA team, the Seattle Storm, was formerly the sister team of the SuperSonics, but was sold to a Seattle-based group before the SuperSonics relocated and became the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The now-defunct Charlotte Sting, Miami Sol, Portland Fire, Cleveland Rockers, Orlando Miracle, Houston Comets and Sacramento Monarchs were also sister teams of the Hornets, Heat, Trail Blazers, Cavaliers, Magic, Rockets and Kings, respectively. The Utah Starzz were affiliated with the Jazz before relocating to San Antonio as the Silver Stars under the ownership of the parent company of the Spurs in 2003. Becoming the Stars in 2014, they shared the Spurs' team colors. The team would eventually relocate to Las Vegas as the Aces in 2017. The Detroit Shock was the sister team of the Pistons until the teams' owner sold the Shock to investors who moved the team to Tulsa, Oklahoma. During its tenure in Tulsa, it was not affiliated with Oklahoma's NBA team, the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Five teams share a market with an NBA G League team. Two of these also share arenas: the Dream share College Park and the Gateway Center Arena with the College Park Skyhawks, while the Mystics share Washington, D.C. and the Entertainment and Sports Arena with the Capital City Go-Go. Also, the Sparks share the Los Angeles market with the Ontario Clippers and South Bay Lakers, the Wings share the Dallas–Fort Worth market with the Texas Legends, and the Liberty shares the New York City market with the Long Island Nets and Westchester Knicks. Two other teams are located within 150 miles of WNBA teams (the Delaware Blue Coats and Fort Wayne Mad Ants being near the Mystics and Fever, respectively). The Stars were also within 150 miles of a G League team (the Austin Spurs) before their move to Las Vegas. The Shock shared the Tulsa market with the Tulsa 66ers until the latter team was relocated to become the Oklahoma City Blue in 2014, while the Mercury were about 100 miles from the Northern Arizona Suns before the Suns moved to Detroit.

Membership timeline

Atlanta DreamChicago SkySeattle StormIndiana FeverPortland FireMiami SolConnecticut SunOrlando MiracleMinnesota LynxDallas WingsTulsa ShockDetroit ShockWashington MysticsLas Vegas AcesSan Antonio StarsSan Antonio StarsUtah StarzzPhoenix MercuryLos Angeles SparksNew York LibertySacramento MonarchsHouston CometsCharlotte StingCleveland Rockers
WNBA expansion
and contraction
Season(s) # Teams
1997 8
1998 10
1999 12
2000–2002 16
2003 14
2004–2005 13
2006 14
2007 13
2008 14
2009 13
2010–present 12

Relocated teams

Folded teams

Season format

Regular season

 
Maya Moore of the Minnesota Lynx, MVP of the 2014 WNBA season

Teams hold training camps in May. Training camps allow the coaching staff to prepare the players for the regular season and determine the 12-woman roster with which they will begin the regular season. After training camp, a series of preseason exhibition games are held.

The WNBA regular season begins in May. Come 2023 during the regular season, each team will play 40 games, 20 each of home & away. As in the NBA, each team hosts and visits every other team at least once every season.

During years in which the Summer Olympics are held, the WNBA takes a month off in the middle of the season to allow players to practice and compete with their respective national teams. During years in which the FIBA World Cup is held, the WNBA either takes a break for the World Cup or ends its season early, depending on the scheduling of the World Cup.

WNBA Commissioner's Cup

Main article: WNBA Commissioner's Cup

The 2020 season was planned to be the first for the Commissioner's Cup, an in-season tournament. Each team's first home and away games against each of its conference opponents, all of which were to be played in the first half of the season, were designated as Cup games. After each team played its 10 Cup games, the top team in each conference's Cup standings would advance to the Commissioner's Cup Final, a single match held in August. The COVID-19 pandemic caused the tournament to be scrapped for the time being; the tournament instead launched in 2021 under the originally announced format.

WNBA All-Star Game

Main article: WNBA All-Star Game

In 1999, the league held its first-ever All-Star Game, where the best players of the Eastern Conference played against the best players of the Western Conference. The West dominated play until 2006, when the East finally won a game.

In July, the regular season pauses to celebrate the annual WNBA All-Star Game. The game is part of a weekend-long event, held in a selected WNBA city each year. The game is played on the selected WNBA team's home court. Through the 2017 edition, the All-Star Game featured star players from the Western Conference facing star players from the Eastern Conference. Since 2018, conference affiliations have been ignored in team selections. During the season, voting for All-Star starters takes place among fans, WNBA players, and sports media members. The starters are selected by a weighted vote (fans 50%, players and media 25% each), while reserves are selected by the league's head coaches. The two players with the most fan votes are named team captains, who then fill out their teams in a draft format similar to that currently used for the NBA All-Star Game.

In 2004, The Game at Radio City was held in a place of a traditional All-Star Game. The 2006 All-Star Game was the first game to feature custom uniforms that match the decade anniversary logo. From 2008 through 2016, no All-Star Game was held in any Summer Olympic year. In 2010, an exhibition game (Stars at the Sun) was held. Although the 2020 Summer Olympics were postponed to 2021 due to COVID-19, no All-Star Game was played in that season. The 2021 season featured the first All-Star Game in an Olympic year since 2000; this contest featured a WNBA all-star team facing the US national team.

Shortly after the All-Star break is the trading deadline. After this date, teams are not allowed to exchange players with each other for the remainder of the season, although they may still sign and release players. Major trades are often completed right before the trading deadline.

WNBA Playoffs

Main article: WNBA Playoffs

The WNBA Playoffs usually begin in late September, though in years of the FIBA World Cup they begin in August. In the current system, the eight best teams by the regular-season record, without regard to conference alignment, qualify for the playoffs. Since 2022, the playoffs have been held in a standard knockout format, with the first round consisting of best-of-three series and the semifinals and finals being best-of-five.[41] Since 2021, Google has been the official sponsor.[42]

Having a higher seed offers several advantages. The higher seed will generally face a weaker team, and will have home-court advantage in each round. In the current playoff format, all quarterfinal series use a 2–1 home-court pattern, which allows the higher seed the opportunity to win the series without having to visit the lower seed. This in turn means that a lower seed that wins one of the first two games will host the series decider.[41]

The quarterfinals are bracketed in the normal manner for an 8-team tournament, with 1 vs. 8 and 4 vs. 5 on one side of the bracket and 2 vs. 7 and 3 vs. 6 on the other. The winners of each quarterfinal series advance to the semifinals, with the bracket not being reseeded. The semifinals use a 2–2–1 home-court pattern, meaning that the higher-seeded team will have home court in games 1, 2, and 5 while the other team plays at home in game 3 and 4. The finals are also played in a 2–2–1 home-court pattern.

WNBA Finals

Main article: WNBA Finals

The final playoff round, a best-of-five series between the two semifinal winners, is known as the WNBA Finals and is held annually, currently scheduled for October. Each player on the winning team receives a championship ring. Also, the league awards a WNBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award. For this round, the series follows a 2–2–1 pattern, meaning that one team will have home court in games 1, 2, and 5, while the other plays at home in games 3 and 4. The 2–2–1 pattern in the WNBA Finals has been in place since 2005.

The WNBA Finals
1990s
Season Champions Runners-up Format Results Finals MVP
Team Coach Team Coach
1997 Houston Comets Van Chancellor New York Liberty Nancy Darsch Single game 65–51 Cynthia Cooper
1998 Phoenix Mercury Cheryl Miller Best-of-three 2–1
1999 New York Liberty Richie Adubato
2000s
Season Champions Runners-up Format Results Finals MVP
Team Coach Team Coach
2000 Houston Comets Van Chancellor New York Liberty Richie Adubato Best-of-three 2–0 Cynthia Cooper
2001 Los Angeles Sparks Michael Cooper Charlotte Sting Anne Donovan Lisa Leslie
2002 New York Liberty Richie Adubato
2003 Detroit Shock Bill Laimbeer Los Angeles Sparks Michael Cooper 2–1 Ruth Riley
2004 Seattle Storm Anne Donovan Connecticut Sun Mike Thibault Betty Lennox
2005 Sacramento Monarchs John Whisenant Best-of-five 3–1 Yolanda Griffith
2006 Detroit Shock Bill Laimbeer Sacramento Monarchs John Whisenant 3–2 Deanna Nolan
2007 Phoenix Mercury Paul Westhead Detroit Shock Bill Laimbeer Cappie Pondexter
2008 Detroit Shock Bill Laimbeer San Antonio Silver Stars Dan Hughes 3–0 Katie Smith
2009 Phoenix Mercury Corey Gaines Indiana Fever Lin Dunn 3–2 Diana Taurasi
2010s
Season Champions Runners-up Format Results Finals MVP
Team Coach Team Coach
2010 Seattle Storm Brian Agler Atlanta Dream Marynell Meadors Best-of-five 3–0 Lauren Jackson
2011 Minnesota Lynx Cheryl Reeve Seimone Augustus
2012 Indiana Fever Lin Dunn Minnesota Lynx Cheryl Reeve 3–1 Tamika Catchings
2013 Minnesota Lynx Cheryl Reeve Atlanta Dream Fred Williams 3–0 Maya Moore
2014 Phoenix Mercury Sandy Brondello Chicago Sky Pokey Chatman Diana Taurasi
2015 Minnesota Lynx Cheryl Reeve Indiana Fever Stephanie White 3–2 Sylvia Fowles
2016 Los Angeles Sparks Brian Agler Minnesota Lynx Cheryl Reeve Candace Parker
2017 Minnesota Lynx Cheryl Reeve Los Angeles Sparks Brian Agler Sylvia Fowles
2018 Seattle Storm Dan Hughes Washington Mystics Mike Thibault 3–0 Breanna Stewart
2019 Washington Mystics Mike Thibault Connecticut Sun Curt Miller 3–2 Emma Meesseman
2020s
Season Champions Runners-up Format Results Finals MVP
Team Coach Team Coach
2020 Seattle Storm Gary Kloppenburg Las Vegas Aces Bill Laimbeer Best-of-five 3–0 Breanna Stewart
2021 Chicago Sky James Wade Phoenix Mercury Sandy Brondello Best-of-five 3–1 Kahleah Copper
2022 Las Vegas Aces Becky Hammon Connecticut Sun Curt Miller Best-of-five 3–1 Chelsea Gray

League championships

The Houston Comets, Minnesota Lynx, and Seattle Storm hold the distinction of having won the most championships with four titles each. The Comets folded in 2008. The Lynx have the most appearances in the championship with six, all occurring in the seven years from 2011 to 2017. Teams in red have folded.

Teams Win Loss Total Year(s) won Year(s) lost
Minnesota Lynx 4 2 6 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017 2012, 2016
Houston Comets (folded in 2008) 4 0 4 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 -
Seattle Storm 4 0 4 2004, 2010, 2018, 2020 -
Los Angeles Sparks 3 2 5 2001, 2002, 2016 2003, 2017
Phoenix Mercury 3 2 5 2007, 2009, 2014 1998, 2021
Detroit Shock (now Dallas Wings) 3 1 4 2003, 2006, 2008 2007
Indiana Fever 1 2 3 2012 2009, 2015
Las Vegas Aces (previously San Antonio Stars) 1 2 3 2022 2008, 2020
Sacramento Monarchs (folded in 2009) 1 1 2 2005 2006
Washington Mystics 1 1 2 2019 2018
Chicago Sky 1 1 2 2021 2014
New York Liberty 0 4 4 - 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002
Connecticut Sun 0 4 4 - 2004, 2005, 2019, 2022
Atlanta Dream 0 3 3 - 2010, 2011, 2013
Charlotte Sting (folded in 2006) 0 1 1 - 2001

Former teams that have no WNBA Finals appearances:

Players and coaches

Main articles: List of Women's National Basketball Association players and List of Women's National Basketball Association head coaches
See also: List of foreign WNBA players
 
Sue Bird, a member of the All-Decade, Top 15, Top 20, and Top 25 teams

In 2011, a decade and a half after the launch of the WNBA, only two players remained from the league's inaugural season in 1997: Sheryl Swoopes and Tina Thompson. Lisa Leslie was the longest-tenured player from the 1997 draft class; she spent her entire career (1997–2009) with the Los Angeles Sparks. Sue Bird holds both of the league's most significant longevity records—number of seasons in the league (19) and games played (580).

The members of the WNBA's All-Decade Team were chosen in 2006 on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the WNBA from amongst 30 nominees compiled by fans, media, coach, and player voting. The team was to comprise the 10 best and most influential players of the first decade of the WNBA, with consideration also given to sportsmanship, community service, leadership, and contribution to the growth of women's basketball.

Players for the WNBA's Top 15 Team were chosen in 2011 on the anniversary of the league's fifteenth season from amongst 30 nominees compiled similarly to that of the All-Decade Team process. This process was repeated for the league's 20th anniversary season in 2016 with the selection of the WNBA Top 20@20, and for the 25th anniversary season in 2021 with the selection of The W25.

Over 30 players have scored at least 3,000 points in their WNBA careers. Only 14 WNBA players have reached the 6,000 point milestone: Diana Taurasi, Tina Thompson, Tamika Catchings, Tina Charles, Candice Dupree, Cappie Pondexter, Sue Bird, Katie Smith, Sylvia Fowles, Candace Parker, Lisa Leslie, DeWanna Bonner, Seimone Augustus, and Lauren Jackson. The scoring average leader is Cynthia Cooper, who averaged 21.0 points per game[43] in five seasons with the Houston Comets (1997–2000, 2003).[44]

In 2007, Paul Westhead of the Phoenix Mercury became the first person to earn both NBA and WNBA championship rings as a coach.

In 2008, 50-year-old Nancy Lieberman became the oldest player to play in a WNBA game. She signed a seven-day contract with the Detroit Shock and played one game, tallying in nine minutes of action. By playing in the one game Lieberman broke a record that she had set in 1997 when she was the league's oldest player at 39. The oldest player to have participated in a full season is Bird, who completed her final season in 2022 less than two months before turning 42.

Sue Bird, who played for the Seattle Storm from 2002 until her retirement in 2022 (though she missed the 2013 and 2019 seasons to injury), holds the record for career assists[45] with 3,234 in 580 regular-season games.[46] The record for most assists per game is currently held by Courtney Vandersloot, an American who also holds a Hungarian passport and represents that country internationally. She has averaged 6.64 assists per game during her career with the Chicago Sky (2011–2022) and New York Liberty (from 2023).[47] Vandersloot also has the top five seasons in assists per game, with 8.1 in 2017, 8.6 in 2018 and 2021, 9.1 in 2019, and 10.0 in 2020.[48]

Milestones

See also: WNBA records
WNBA Milestones
Milestone Player Team Date Information
First player signed Sheryl Swoopes Houston Comets October 23, 1996 Signed by the WNBA and assigned to Houston.
First points scored Penny Toler Los Angeles Sparks June 21, 1997 Scored the first points on a baseline jump-shot.
First triple-double Sheryl Swoopes Houston Comets July 27, 1998 14 points, 15 rebounds, 10 assists
First slam dunk Lisa Leslie Los Angeles Sparks July 30, 2002 Dunked on a fast break against Miami
First 50–40–90 season Elena Delle Donne Washington Mystics 2019 51.5% FG, 43.0% 3FG, 97.4% FT[49]
Most career points Diana Taurasi Phoenix Mercury 2004–2014, 2016–present 9,693 points
Most career rebounds Sylvia Fowles Chicago Sky / Minnesota Lynx 2008–2022 4,007 rebounds
Most career assists Sue Bird Seattle Storm 2002–2012, 2014–2018, 2020–2022 3,234 assists
Most 3-pointers Diana Taurasi Phoenix Mercury 2004–2014, 2016–present 1,297 3-pointers
Most points in a game Liz Cambage Dallas Wings July 17, 2018 53 points
Most rebounds in a game Chamique Holdsclaw Washington Mystics May 23, 2003 24 rebounds
Most assists in a game Courtney Vandersloot Chicago Sky August 31, 2020 18 assists
Most career wins for a coach Mike Thibault Connecticut Sun / Washington Mystics[50] 2003–present 379 wins
Most team points in one game – Phoenix Mercury July 24, 2010 127 points in double overtime against Minnesota
Most team points in a regulation game – Phoenix Mercury July 22, 2010 123 points against Tulsa
Largest margin of victory – Minnesota Lynx August 18, 2017 59-point win (111–52) over Indiana
Largest attendance for one game – Detroit Shock September 16, 2007 22,076 in game 5 of 2007 Finals

Awards

Around the beginning of September (or late August in Olympic and FIBA World Cup years), the regular season ends. It is during this time that voting begins for individual awards. The Sixth Player of the Year Award (known before 2021 as the "Sixth Woman" award) is given to the best player coming off the bench (must have more games coming off the bench than actual games started).[51] The Rookie of the Year Award is awarded to the most outstanding first-year player. The Most Improved Player Award is awarded to the player who is deemed to have shown the most improvement from the previous season. The Defensive Player of the Year Award is awarded to the league's best defender. The Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award is awarded to the player who shows outstanding sportsmanship on and off the court. The Coach of the Year Award is awarded to the coach that has made the most positive difference to a team. The Most Valuable Player Award is given to the player deemed the most valuable for her team that season. The Basketball Executive of the Year Award is presented to the team executive most instrumental in his or her team's success in that season. The newest WNBA award, first presented in 2019, is the season-long version of the WNBA Community Assist Award, presented to a player for especially meritorious community service.[a]

Also named are the All-WNBA Teams, the All-Defensive Teams, and the All-Rookie Team; each consists of five players. There are two All-WNBA teams; starting with the 2022 season, each consists of five top players selected without regard to position, with first-team status being the most desirable.[53] There are two All-Defensive teams, each consisting of the top defenders at each position. Finally, there is one All-Rookie team, consisting of the top five first-year players regardless of position. (In all cases, a tie in voting may lead to a team containing six players instead of five.)

Most recent award winners

All listed winners are from the 2022 season.

Award Winner Position Team Votes/Statistic[b]
Most Valuable Player Award A'ja Wilson Forward Las Vegas Aces 31 out of 56
Finals MVP Award Chelsea Gray Guard Las Vegas Aces N/A[c]
Rookie of the Year Award Rhyne Howard Guard Atlanta Dream 53 out of 56
Most Improved Player Award Jackie Young Guard Las Vegas Aces 32 out of 56
Defensive Player of the Year Award A'ja Wilson Forward Las Vegas Aces 20 out of 56
Sixth Player of the Year Award Brionna Jones Forward Connecticut Sun 53 out of 56
Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award Sylvia Fowles Center Minnesota Lynx 36 out of 56
Peak Performer: Points Breanna Stewart Forward Seattle Storm 21.8 PPG
Peak Performer: Rebounds Sylvia Fowles Center Minnesota Lynx 9.8 RPG
Peak Performer: Assists Natasha Cloud Guard Washington Mystics 7.0 APG
Coach of the Year Award Becky Hammon Coach Las Vegas Aces 27 out of 56
Basketball Executive of the Year Award James Wade General manager[d] Chicago Sky 11 out of 11[e]
Community Assist Award Brianna Turner Forward Phoenix Mercury N/A[c]
Notes
  1. ^ The Community Assist Award has been presented on a monthly basis during the season since 2008, but a season-long version was not presented until 2019.[52]
  2. ^ "Votes" are listed as first-place votes except as noted, although the winners for all WNBA awards apart from the statistically based Peak Performer Awards are determined by points earned rather than first-place votes.
  3. ^ a b The WNBA did not announce detailed voting results.
  4. ^ Wade was also the Sky's head coach in that season.
  5. ^ Wade was the only executive named on all possible ballots, with no other executive being named on more than 7. However, all ballots had votes for first, second, and third places, and the WNBA did not provide a voting breakdown.[54]

Retired numbers

 
Lauren Jackson, one of the most notable players in WNBA history. Number 15 was retired by Seattle Storm in her honor.
No. Team Player Pos. Tenure[note 1] Ref.
9 Los Angeles Sparks Lisa Leslie C 1997–2009 [55][56]
11 Penny Toler G 1997–99 [57]
24 Indiana Fever Tamika Catchings SF 2002–16 [58]
25 Las Vegas Aces Becky Hammon [note 2] G 2007–14 [59][60]
13 Minnesota Lynx Lindsay Whalen G 2010–18 [61]
32 Rebekkah Brunson F 2010-2018 [62]
33 Seimone Augustus G 2006-2019 [63]
7 Phoenix Mercury Michele Timms G 1997–2001 [64][65]
13 Penny Taylor G/F 2004–16 [66]
22 Jennifer Gillom F 1997–2002
32 Bridget Pettis G 1997–2006
15 Seattle Storm Lauren Jackson F/C 2001–12 [67][68]
Pending number retirements
No. Team Player Pos. Tenure[note 3] Ref.
10 Seattle Storm Sue Bird G 2001–22[note 4] [69]
Notes
  1. ^ Reflects tenure with the team that retired the player's number; not necessarily identical to the player's WNBA tenure.
  2. ^ Number retired by the franchise when it was playing as the San Antonio Stars. Hammon played the last eight seasons of her WNBA career in San Antonio. The Aces, which honored the number's retirement by the Stars, held a second number retirement ceremony for Hammon on September 13, 2021.
  3. ^ Reflects tenure with the team that retired the player's number; not necessarily identical to the player's WNBA tenure.
  4. ^ Bird missed the 2013 and 2019 seasons to injuries.

Notable international players

Further information: List of foreign WNBA players

A number of international players that have played in the WNBA have earned multiple all-stars or won MVP awards:

Some of these players, among them Penicheiro, Sutton-Brown, and Young played U.S. college basketball.

Rules and regulations

Rules are governed by standard basketball rules as defined by the NBA, with a few notable exceptions:

  • The three-point line is 22 ft 1.75 in (6.75 m) from the center of the basket, with a distance of 22 ft (6.71 m) at the corners. The main arc is essentially identical to that used by FIBA (effective October 1, 2012 for domestic competitions) and NCAA play (effective in 2019–20 in Division I and 2020–21 in Divisions II and III for men, and in 2021–22 for all women's play). The WNBA corner distance, as measured from the center of the basket, is identical to that of the NBA; the FIBA and NCAA distance at the corners is 4 in (10.16 cm) shorter.
  • The regulation WNBA ball is a minimum 28.5 inches (72 cm) in circumference and weighs 20.0 ounces (570 g), 1 inch (2.5 cm) smaller and 2 ounces (57 g) lighter than the NBA ball. Since 2004, this size has been used for all senior-level women's competitions throughout the world in full-court basketball. Competitions in the half-court 3x3 variant used the women's ball until 2015, when a dedicated ball with the circumference of the women's ball but the weight of the men's ball was introduced. Wilson became the WNBA ball supplier in 2021. Prior to that year, Spalding had been the ball supplier since 1997.
  • Quarters are 10 minutes in duration instead of 12.

Games are divided into four 10-minute quarters as opposed to the league's original two 20-minute halves of play, similar to FIBA and NCAA women's college rules.

A recent trend with new WNBA rules has been to match them with a similar NBA rule. Since the 2006 WNBA season:[70]

  • The winner of the opening jump ball shall begin the 4th quarter with the ball out of bounds. The loser shall begin with the ball out of bounds in the second and third quarters. Previously under the two-half format, both periods started with jump balls, presumably to eliminate the possibility of a team purposely losing the opening tip to gain the opening possession of the second half. This is not a problem under the four-quarters because the winner of the opening tip gets the opening possession of the final period.
  • The shot clock was decreased from 30 to 24 seconds, matching the FIBA shot clock. Starting in 2020, the last 5 seconds of the shot clock counted down in tenths of a second.

The 2007 WNBA season brought changes that included:[71]

  • The amount of time that a team must move the ball across the half-court line went from 10 to 8 seconds.
  • A referee can grant time-outs to either a player or the coach.
  • Two free throws and possession of the ball for a clear-path-to-the-basket foul. Previously only one free throw was awarded as well as possession.

In 2012, the WNBA added the block/charge arc under the basket. As of 2013 the defensive three-second rule and anti-flopping guidelines were introduced. The three-point line was also extended; in 2017, that line extended into the corners to match the NBA's.

Since 2017, Tissot is the official timekeeper for the league, as it uses a unified game clock/shot clock system.

Court dimensions

WNBA Court Dimensions
Area Imperial Metric
Length of court (baseline to baseline) 94 ft 28.65 m
Width of court (sideline to sideline) 50 ft 15.24 m
Rim height (floor to rim) 10 ft 3.05 m
Center circle diameter 12 ft 3.66 m
Three-point line distance from center of basket 22 ft 1.75 in 6.75 m
3-point line distance from center of basket (corners) 22 ft 6.71 m
Shaded area/Lane/Key length 19 ft 5.8 m
Shaded area/Lane/Key width 16 ft 4.88 m
Restricted area (aka "block/charge arc")
(distance from center of basket)		 4 ft 1.22 m
Free-throw line (distance from backboard) 15 ft 4.57 m
Free-throw half-circle radius 6 ft 1.83 m
Backboard width (side to side) 6 ft 1.83 m
Coaching box width (from baseline) 28 ft 8.54 m
*All dimensions are in line with NBA regulations except the main three-point arc. The three-point distance at the corners is identical in the NBA and WNBA.

Business

Finance

During the mid-2000s, the NBA spent more than $10 million per year to keep the WNBA financially solvent.[72] In 2007, teams were estimated to be losing $1.5 million to $2 million a year.[73]

Due to the lack of viewership, the WNBA has not been profitable in past years. The league projected losses through the 2010 season to be around $400 million.[74]

The league has begun to do better financially in recent years. In December 2010, Donna Orender said that the league had its first-ever "cash flow positive" team during the 2010 season.[75] In 2011, three teams were profitable, and in 2013, six of the league's 12 teams reported a profit.[76] The league has also signed extended television contracts with ESPN and sponsorship agreements with Boost Mobile.

Activism

Main article: WNBA Social Justice Council

The New York Times in 2020 called the WNBA "the most socially progressive pro league."[77]

As the popularity of the league has grown, players have gained more voice and power to perform as activists in many fields. One of the activist players' main focuses is the inequality between men's and women's sports. Many players such as Brittney Griner, Breanna Stewart, and Maya Moore have spoken about equality between gender, sexual orientation, and race.[78] The players have also supported progressive social and political movements such as Black Lives Matter and others.[79] Shortly after the George Floyd protests began, the league and union decided in 2020 to put Black Lives Matter and Say Her Name slogans on warmup gear and opening weekend uniforms.[80] When team owner Senator Kelly Loeffler criticized the league's support for Black Lives Matter, her team wore black T-shirts with the slogan "VOTE WARNOCK", endorsing her election opponent Raphael Warnock, an African-American pastor who defeated Loeffler.[80]

In 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the WNBA led American professional sports teams in promoting the COVID-19 vaccine.[81] Teams hosted vaccine clinics in their home arenas.[81] In April the league and union's Social Justice Council made a PSA, Our Health is Worth a Shot, that aired during the WNBA draft.[81][82] In June 2021, the WNBA announced that 99% of its players had been fully vaccinated.[83]

Sponsorships

On June 1, 2009, the Phoenix Mercury was the first team in WNBA history to announce a marquee sponsorship. The team secured a partnership with LifeLock to brand their jerseys and warm-ups.[84] It was the first branded jersey in WNBA history. Following the expiration of the LifeLock deal, the Mercury secured a new uniform sponsorship deal with Casino Arizona and Talking Stick Resort on February 3, 2014.[85]

Other teams eventually followed in the Mercury's footsteps; some teams feature sponsors prominently on the front of their jerseys, while others have sponsors on the upper left-hand shoulder.[citation needed]

On August 22, 2011, the WNBA announced a league-wide marquee sponsorship with Boost Mobile.[86] The deal would allow the Boost Mobile logo to be placed on eleven of the 12 teams' jerseys (excluding San Antonio) in addition to branding on the courts and in arenas. A source said the deal is a "multiyear, eight-figure deal".[87]

In 2009, the Phoenix Mercury became the first American professional basketball team to feature advertisements on their uniform, when they sold an ad to LifeLock Insurance on the front of their jerseys, leading many people to wonder if ads on NBA uniforms were coming soon. Since then several other WNBA teams have followed suit. The NBA announced in the summer of 2016 that they will begin to feature advertisements on jerseys, with the first team to do so being the Philadelphia 76ers (with a StubHub sticker now on their jerseys).

Before the start of the 2011 season, every team announced a new look for their uniforms. The supplier of the uniforms for the league, Adidas, upgraded all teams to new high-tech designs, much like they did for the NBA before the start of their season.

On April 8, 2019, the WNBA announced a multiyear marquee partnership with AT&T, making them the first non-apparel partner to have its logo featured on the front of all 12 team jerseys. The jerseys officially debuted during the 2019 WNBA draft.[88]

Salaries, rosters, and collective bargaining

Before the 2009 season, the maximum team roster size was changed from 13 players (11 active and 2 inactive) to 11 players (all active). Any team that falls below nine players able to play due to injury or any other factor outside of the control of the team will, upon request, be granted a roster hardship exception allowing the team to sign an additional player or players so that the team will have nine players able to play in an upcoming game or games. As soon as the injured (or otherwise sidelined) player(s) can play, the roster hardship player(s)—not any other player on the roster—must be waived. In March 2014, the WNBA and players signed a new, eight-year collective bargaining agreement, increasing the number of players on a roster to 12.[89]

The WNBA Draft is held annually every spring. The minimum age is 22 years for American players and 20 years for international players, measured as of December 31 of the calendar year of the draft. For draft purposes, "American" includes those born in the U.S., as well as those who have enrolled in a U.S. college or university, regardless of their citizenship. The draft is three rounds long, with each of the 12 teams in the league (trades aside) getting three picks each. The draft order for the eight teams that made the playoffs the previous year are based on team records, and the team with the highest previous record will pick last. For the remaining top four picks, a selection process similar to the NBA Draft Lottery is conducted for the four teams that did not qualify for the playoffs.

Previously, in 2008, a new six-year collective bargaining agreement was agreed upon between the players and the league. The salary cap for an entire team in 2010 was $827,000 (although it was later lowered to $775,000). By 2013 (the sixth year under this agreement), the cap for an entire team was $900,000. In 2010, the minimum salary for a player with three-plus years of experience was $51,000 while the maximum salary for a six-plus year player was $101,500 (the first time in league history that players can receive over $100,000). The minimum salary for rookies was $35,190.[90][91] Many WNBA players supplement their salaries by playing in European, Australian, or more recently Chinese women's basketball leagues during the WNBA offseason. The WNBA has been criticized for paying female players less than their NBA counterparts, although this is attributed to the much greater revenues of the NBA.[92]

The decision of superstar Diana Taurasi to sit out the 2015 WNBA season was seen by some in the media as a harbinger of salary-related troubles in the future. The Russian club for which she was playing at the time, UMMC Ekaterinburg, offered her a bonus well over the league's maximum player salary to sit out that season. Taurasi accepted, largely because she had not had an offseason since playing college basketball more than a decade earlier. Such offers have often been made to star American players, including Taurasi herself, but none were accepted until Taurasi did so in 2015.[93]

A more recent incident that led to widespread media comment on the WNBA's salary structure was the torn Achilles suffered by reigning WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart while playing for another Russian side, Dynamo Kursk, in the 2019 EuroLeague Women final. The injury came at a time when the WNBA and its players' union were preparing to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement,[94] following the union's announcement in November 2018 that it would opt out of the current CBA after the 2019 season. With overseas leagues offering much higher salaries to many players than the WNBA currently provides, roughly 70% of the league's players go overseas in any given season. While these players do not necessarily play as many games as NBA players do in their seasons, even participants in the NBA Finals get several months of rest in the offseason, something not available for WNBA players who also play overseas.[95][96][97] In a story on the ramifications of Stewart's injury, M.A. Voepel of ESPN had this to say about the lead-in to the injury:[97]

For Stewart, her 2018 went like this: playing in China, brief time off, WNBA season, World Cup in the Canary Islands, brief time off, playing in Russia. She hasn't had significant recovery time since before her senior season at UConn. Now, she'll have time away from playing but while going through rehab and physical therapy.

The current CBA, which took effect in 2020, significantly increased minimum and maximum salaries. The minimum league salary in 2020 was $57,000 for players with less than three years of experience, and $68,000 otherwise. For most players, the 2020 maximum salary was $185,000; players who met specified criteria for league service had a maximum of $215,000.[98]

WNBA players are awarded bonuses for certain achievements. Some of the bonuses given by the league (amount is per player), from 2020 to 2027 (the duration of the current CBA): WNBA champion: $11,356; Runner-up: $5,678; Most Valuable Player: $15,450; All-WNBA First Team member: $10,300; and All-Star Game participant: $2,575.[99] These were only modest increases from amounts provided before 2020.[100]

In recent years, the lack of roster space for rookies, thus hampering their professional development, has become a major issue. While the 2020 CBA led to maximum player salaries nearly doubling from 2019 to 2022, the team cap only increased by slightly less than 40% in that period. Because the cap is a hard cap, many WNBA teams now carry only 11 players on their rosters instead of the maximum 12, leading Stewart to state "We’re at a tipping point. . . . without some easy tweaks, we are no longer a league that has 12 teams and 144 players — it’s more like 133." The WNBA also has no developmental league similar to the NBA G League; Chiney Ogwumike, a vice president of the players' union, publicly called for such a league. While roster limits have always been a significant issue in the league—between the first WNBA draft in 1997 and 2021, more than 40% of drafted players never made a roster—this became especially apparent at the dawn of the 2020s. In one notable example, the 2019 Naismith Trophy winner Megan Gustafson did not make an opening-day roster in 2019, and had only played in parts of the 2019–2021 seasons before being cut in the 2022 preseason. This issue gained major publicity during the week before the start of the 2022 season. The Minnesota Lynx, which began that week with barely over $12,000 of cap room, cut six players, including the 2020 Rookie of the Year Crystal Dangerfield, their 2021 first-round pick Rennia Davis, and both of their 2022 draft picks. The Seattle Storm, whose first 2022 draft pick was in the middle of the second round, waived that pick (Elissa Cunane), and the Las Vegas Aces waived both of their picks, one of them a first-rounder.[101][102]

Another clause in the 2020 CBA, known as the "prioritization" clause, has been viewed as a potential problem for the league. Because of overseas league commitments, a significant number of WNBA players have reported late to training camp each season. Several overseas leagues and continental club competitions overlap with WNBA training camps, and even with the start of the WNBA season. For example, 55 WNBA players missed the start of training camp in 2021, meaning that most teams were unable to start practice with their full rosters.[103] Starting in 2023, teams will be required to fine players with more than two years of WNBA experience who miss the start of training camp. (Exemptions are provided for national team commitments, graduations, and other significant life events.) Starting in 2024, the league can penalize a veteran player who does not report to camp with a season-long suspension without pay.[104] In a 2021 episode of a podcast hosted by Napheesa Collier and A'ja Wilson, Collier raised the prospect of players choosing to abandon the WNBA for higher overseas salaries, telling Wilson "If I’m not making that much in the league, if it’s not enough for me to survive on during the year, I’m going overseas and having the summer off."[103] When Stewart re-signed with the Seattle Storm as a free agent before the 2022 season, she cited the prioritization clause as the reason she only signed a one-year contract.[104]

Merchandise

The following shows the top jersey sales during the 2021 regular season, based on sales through the WNBA's official online store.[105]

However, a story by NBC Sports journalist Alex Azzi argued that the WNBA's merchandise rankings were misleading for multiple reasons.[106]

  • At any given time, the WNBA has at most 144 players, but at the time of the story, "ready to ship" replica team jerseys were available for fewer than 20 of them. Many of the league's top players in the 2021 season were not among those with "ready to ship" jerseys. The only such jersey available for Jonquel Jones, who would be named league MVP shortly after the story ran, was a replica of the jersey she wore in that season's All-Star Game, and not her Connecticut Sun jersey. The league's leading scorer that season, Tina Charles, had no ready-made jersey available for sale. Also, not all of the ready-made jerseys were available in youth sizes. All other player replica jerseys must be custom-ordered, which take longer to ship, cost more, and are only available in adult sizes. The only Minnesota Lynx player with a ready-made jersey, Maya Moore, had not played in the league since 2018 (and would formally announce her retirement in 2023).
  • Some teams, among them the Lynx, offer a larger variety of ready-made replica jerseys in their online team stores. Also, Dick's Sporting Goods, which had entered into a multi-year marketing agreement with the league shortly before the story ran, has a wider availability of such jerseys than the WNBA online store. However, the league's official merchandise rankings do not include sales through any outlets other than its online store.
  • While over 80% of WNBA players are black, the top three on this list, as well as four of the top five, are white. A study by two researchers at the University of Massachusetts published earlier in 2021 concluded that after controlling for points and rebounds, white players individually averaged twice as much media mentions as black players during the 2020 season.[107] This discrepancy was specifically called out by white UConn superstar Paige Bueckers during her acceptance speech at the 2021 ESPY Awards, and Azzi argued that it contributed to the perceived racial bias in the WNBA merchandise rankings.

The following shows the top teams in merchandise sales during the 2021 regular season.[105]

WNBA Presidents / Commissioners

The title of the league's chief executive was "President" before Cathy Engelbert became the first "Commissioner".

Attendance

In 2012, the average attendance per game dropped from 7,955 to 7,457 (−6.3%). Attendance per game stayed consistent at around 7,520 per game. In 2015, the WNBA's attendance per game decreased by 3.4 percent to 7,318. This was a record low for the WNBA since it was created in 1997. Many teams have experienced drops in their attendance; (San Antonio Stars: −37.4%, Washington Mystics: −7.9%, Tulsa Shock: −7.2%)[110] these losses have caused the attendance of the WNBA to drop.

President Laurel Richie stated that after the 2015 season ends, they will create an expansion committee and begin evaluating if and how the WNBA should go about expanding their reach.

The 2018 and 2019 seasons each set the lowest average attendance in WNBA history (6,769 and 6,535). However, about half of the decline in attendance from 2017 to 2018 was due to the New York Liberty moving from 19,812-seat Madison Square Garden to the 5,000-seat Westchester County Center. While the Liberty had averaged over 9,000 fans in 2017, James Dolan, then the team's owner, noted that roughly half of the team's attendance in that season came from complimentary tickets.[111] Similarly in 2019, the Washington Mystics moved from the 20,356-seat Capital One Arena to the 4,111-seat Entertainment and Sports Arena. The Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty each saw double-digit percentage losses in 2019, but half of the league's teams saw attendance increases in that season, and the number of sellouts was the same in both seasons (41).[112]

Attendance
1990s
Year Team League
CHA CLE DET HOU LA MIN NY ORL PHX SAC UTA WAS Regular season Post­season
1997 8,307 7,971 9,814 8,937 13,270 13,703 7,858 7,611 9,684 14,849
1998 8,561 10,350 10,229 12,602 7,653 14,935 13,764 6,578 8,104 15,910 10,869 11,964
1999 7,080 9,350 8,485 11,906 7,625 10,494 14,047 9,801 12,219 8,626 7,544 15,306 10,207 12,647
2000s
Year Team League
ATL CHA CHI CLE CON DET HOU IND LA MIA MIN NY ORL PHX POR SAC SA SEA UTA WAS Regular season Post­season
2000 5,685 8,596 6,716 12,255 12,267 6,563 7,983 7,290 14,498 7,363 10,130 8,317 7,928 8,912 6,420 15,258 9,074 12,222
2001 6,595 9,211 6,834 11,320 8,683 9,278[a] 8,840 7,538 15,671 7,430 8,558 8,604 8,350 5,954 6,907 15,417 9,074 11,430
2002 6,667 9,318 5,686 10,866 8,434 11,651 8,828 7,819 14,670 7,115 8,737 8,041 9,011 6,989 7,420 16,202 9,228 11,537
2003 7,062 7,400 6,023 7,862 8,835[b] 8,340 9,290 7,074 12,123 8,501 9,125 10,384 7,109 14,042 8,800 9,205
2004 6,846 6,707 9,462 8,086 7,588 10,428 7,359 9,886[c] 8,017 8,679 8,395 7,899 12,615 8,613 9,490
2005 5,768 7,173 9,374 7,099 8,382 8,854 6,673 10,140 7,303 8,542 7,944 8,891 10,088 8,172 8,397
2006 5,941 3,390 7,417 9,380 7,682 7,222 8,311 6,442 9,120 7,459 8,691 7,397 8,568 7,839 7,490 8,397
2007 3,915 7,970 9,749 8,166 7,032 8,695 7,119 8,698 7,737 8,387 7,569 7,974 7,788 7,819 10,312
2008 8,316 3,656 7,644 9,569 6,585[d] 7,702 9,508 6,968 9,045 8,522 8,180 7,984 8,265 9,096 7,948 8,420
2009 7,102 3,932 6,794 8,004 7,939 10,387 7,537 9,800 8,523 7,744 7,527 7,874 11,338 8,039 9,979
  1. ^ LA moved from The Forum to Staples Center prior to the 2001 season.
  2. ^ HOU moved from Compaq Center to Toyota Center prior to the 2003 season.
  3. ^ NY played six games at Radio City Music Hall in 2004.
  4. ^ HOU moved from Toyota Center to Reliant Arena prior to the 2008 season.
2010s
Year Team League
ATL CHI CON DAL IND LA LV MIN NY PHX SA SEA TUL WAS Regular season Post­season
2010 6,293 4,293[a] 7,486 — 8,265 9,468 — 7,622 11,069 8,982 8,041 8,322 4,812 9,357 7,834 10,822
2011 6,487 5,536 7,056 — 8,054 10,316 — 8,447 7,702[b] 9,167 8,751 8,659 4,828 10,449 7,954 9,232
2012 5,453 5,573 7,266 — 7,582 10,089 — 9,683 6,779[b] 7,814 7,850 7,486 5,203 8,639 7,452 9,195
2013 5,853 6,601 6,548 — 8,164 9,869 — 9,381 7,189[b] 8,557 7,914 6,981 5,474 7,838 7,531 7,574
2014 5,864 6,685 5,980 — 7,900 8,288 — 9,333 8,949 9,557 7,719 6,717 5,566 8,377 7,578[113] 8,200
2015[114] 6,122 6,894 5,557 — 7,485 9,065 — 9,364 9,159 9,946 4,831[c] 6,516 5,167 7,714 7,318[115] 8,799
2016 5,614 7,009 5,837 5,298 8,575 9,638 — 9,266 9,724 10,351 6,385 7,230 — 6,929 7,655[116] 8,719
2017 4,452[d] 6,583[e] 6,728 3,872 7,538 11,350 — 10,407 9,989 9,913 6,386 7,704 — 7,771 7,716[117] —
2018 4,194[d] 6,358 6,569 4,752 6,311 10,642 5,307 10,036 2,823[f] 9,950 — 8,109 — 6,136 6,769 —
2019[112] 4,270[g] 6,835 6,841 4,999 5,887 11,307 4,669[h] 9,069 2,239[i] 10,193 — 7,562[j] — 4,546[k] 6,535 —
  1. ^ CHI moved from UIC Pavilion to Allstate Arena prior to the 2010 season.
  2. ^ a b c NY moved temporarily from Madison Square Garden to Prudential Center from 2011 through 2013
  3. ^ SA moved temporarily from AT&T Center to Freeman Coliseum for the 2015 season.
  4. ^ a b ATL moved temporarily from Philips Arena, now known as State Farm Arena, to McCamish Pavilion for the 2017 and 2018 seasons.
  5. ^ CHI moved from Allstate Arena to Wintrust Arena prior to the 2018 season.
  6. ^ NY moved to Westchester County Center prior to the 2018 season with Madison Square Garden as an alternate home.
  7. ^ ATL returned to State Farm Arena for one season.
  8. ^ LV played one game at T-Mobile Arena.
  9. ^ NY played one game at the Barclays Center.
  10. ^ SEA moved temporarily from Climate Pledge Arena to Alaska Airlines Arena and Angel of the Winds Arena for at least the 2019 season.
  11. ^ WAS moved from Capital One Arena to St. Elizabeths East Entertainment and Sports Arena prior to the 2019 season. Played one game at Capital One.
2020s
Year Team League
ATL CHI CON DAL IND LA LV MIN NY PHX SEA WAS Regular season Post­season
2020 Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the season was played in Bradenton, Florida without fans.[118][119]
2021 1,347 3,187 2,992 2,101 — 1,221 2,943 2,696 1,874 5,849 2,607 2,183 2,636 7,400
2022 2,572 7,180 5,712 3,788 1,776 5,653 5,607 7,444 5,327 7,974 10,632 3,983 5,679

Media coverage

Main articles: WNBA on ESPN, WNBA on Lifetime, WNBA on Oxygen, and NBA on NBC § WNBA on NBC

Currently, WNBA games are televised throughout the U.S. by ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, Twitter, NBATV, CBS, and CBS Sports Network.

In the early years, two women's-oriented networks, Lifetime and Oxygen, also broadcast games, including the first game of the WNBA. NBC showed games from 1997 to 2002 as part of their NBA on NBC coverage before the league transferred the rights to ABC/ESPN.

In 2007, the WNBA and ESPN came to an 8-year television agreement. The agreement would be the first to pay television rights fees to the league's teams. Never before had an agreement promised rights fees to a women's professional league. The agreement ran from 2009 to 2016 and was worth millions of dollars.[120]

In June 2007, the WNBA signed a contract extension with ESPN. The new television deal runs from 2009 to 2016. A minimum of 18 games will be broadcast on ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2 each season; the rights to broadcast the first regular-season game and the All-Star game are held by ABC. Additionally, a minimum of 11 postseason games will be broadcast on any of the three stations.[121] Along with this deal, came the first-ever rights fees to be paid to a women's professional sports league. Over the eight years of the contract, "millions and millions of dollars" will be "dispersed to the league's teams".[120]

In 2013, the WNBA and ESPN signed a six-year extension on the broadcast deal to cover 2017–2022. In the new deal, a total of 30 games would be shown each season on ESPN networks. Each team would receive around $1 million per year.[122]

On April 22, 2019, CBS Sports Network reached a multi-year deal to televise 40 regular-season weekend and primetime WNBA games, beginning in the 2019 season.[123][124]

In 2023, Ion Television signed a deal with the WNBA to air 15 Friday night games branded as WNBA Friday Night Spotlight on ION. It will be the first national sports program to air on Ion since 2011.[125]

Some teams offer games on local radio, while all teams have some games broadcast on local television stations:

From 2010 to 2011, the regular-season broadcast drew 270,000 viewers a growth of 5 percent from 2010's numbers.[126] As sponsorships continued to grow with deals from ESPN to air WNBA games on ESPN and ESPN 2. The league did experience some success on the digital forefront. It saw increases on its mobile page views by 26 percent along with a major increase in its social media space; Instagram grew by 51 percent this past year.

WNBA League Pass

In 2009, the WNBA announced the launch of WNBA LiveAccess, a feature on WNBA.com that provides fans with access to more than 200 live game webcasts throughout the WNBA season. All of the WNBA LiveAccess games are then archived for on-demand viewing. Most games (except broadcasts on ABC, ESPN or ESPN2, which are available on ESPN3) are available via this system. The first use of LiveAccess was the E League versus Chicago Sky preseason game.[127]

Before the 2011 season, LiveAccess was given an overhaul, and the system became more reliable and many new features were added. Before the 2012 season, it was announced that users of LiveAccess would have to pay a $4.99 subscription fee to use the service. In 2013, this was increased to $14.99. In 2014 the streaming service was renamed WNBA League Pass.

WNBA League Pass is available as part of the WNBA App, the free mobile application available on the iPhone, iPad and Android devices and costs US$16.99 for the season. Games airing on ESPN, ESPN2 and CBS Sports Network, as well as other games taking place during the telecast windows of ESPN and ESPN2 games, are not available live on WNBA League Pass. However, those games will be available on-demand shortly after the conclusion of their live broadcast.[128]

Viewership

Year Season Telecasts on ESPN/ESPN2/ABC/CBS Average viewership +/− over previous
2005 Regular Unknown 282,000 +
2006 Regular 14 242,000 +
2007 Regular 16 221,000 –
2008 Regular 13 248,000 +
Playoffs 12 282,000 –
2009 Regular 12 269,000 +
Playoffs 13 435,000 +
2010 Regular 18 258,000 –
Playoffs 7 370,000 –
2011 Regular 11 270,000 +
Playoffs 15 Unknown
2012 Regular 10 180,000 –
Playoffs 19 301,000 +
2013 Regular 13 231,000[129] +
Playoffs 17 344,000[130] +
2014 Regular 19 240,000[131] +
Playoffs 10 489,000[132] +
2015 Regular 11 (includes 1 on ESPN) 202,000[114] –
Playoffs Unknown Unknown
2016 Regular Unknown 224,000[133] +
Playoffs Unknown Unknown
2017 Regular Unknown 171,000[134]
2018 Regular 231,000[135]
Playoffs 319,000[135]
2019 Regular 246,000[136]
Playoffs 257,000[137]
Playoffs Unknown Unknown

On the 2008 season opening day (May 17), ABC broadcast the Los Angeles Sparks and Phoenix Mercury matchup to showcase new rookie sensation Candace Parker. The game received a little over 1 million viewers.

Ratings still remain poor in comparison to NBA games. In 2008, WNBA games averaged just 413,000 viewers, compared to 1.46 million viewers on ESPN and over 2.2 million on ABC for NBA games.[138] In addition, WNBA games have much poorer visibility, attendance, and ratings than NCAA games.[139] However, ESPN viewership grew 35% in 2018 over 2017.[140] This became the impetus for the multi-year partnership in which CBS Sports Network would broadcast live WNBA games beginning with the 2019 season.[141]

All-time franchise history (through 2017)

Team Years Attendance
Avg. 		W L PCT Playoffs Playoffs W Playoffs L Playoffs PCT Titles
Atlanta Dream 2008–present 6,455 160 180 .471 7 15 18 .455 0
Charlotte Sting 1997–2006 6,851 143 179 .444 6 6 13 .316 0
Chicago Sky 2006–present 5,054 179 229 .439 4 7 12 .368 1
Cleveland Rockers 1997–2003 8,885 108 112 .491 4 6 9 .400 0
Connecticut Sun (total) 1 1999–present 7,132 339 299 .531 10 21 21 .500 0
Connecticut Sun 2003–present 6,887 279 231 .547 9 20 19 .513 0
Dallas Wings (total) 2 1998–present 7,382 296 372 .443 10 30 22 .577 3
Dallas Wings 2016–present 27 41 .397 1 0 1 .000 0
Detroit Shock 1998–2009 8,463 210 186 .530 7 30 19 .612 3
Houston Comets 1997–2008 9,592 241 149 .618 9 20 14 .588 4
Indiana Fever 2000–present 8,138 310 296 .512 13 35 33 .515 1
Las Vegas Aces (total) 3 1997–present 7,692 291 405 .418 9 10 23 .303 0
Las Vegas Aces 2018–present 0 0 – 0 0 0 – 0
Los Angeles Sparks 1997–present 9,080 424 272 .609 17 45 38 .542 3
Miami Sol 2000–2002 8,556 48 48 .500 1 1 2 .333 0
Minnesota Lynx 1999–present 8,008 347 291 .544 9 41 19 .683 4
New York Liberty 1997–present 10,873 371 325 .533 15 27 36 .429 0
Orlando Miracle 1999–2002 7,927 60 68 .469 1 1 2 .333 0
Phoenix Mercury 1997–present 9,307 358 338 .514 12 36 29 .554 3
Portland Fire 2000–2002 8,321 37 59 .385 0 0 0 .000 0
Sacramento Monarchs 1997–2009 8,287 224 200 .527 9 24 19 .558 1
San Antonio Stars 2003–2017 7,857 204 306 .400 7 8 18 .308 0
Seattle Storm 2000–present 7,697 303 303 .500 13 19 22 .463 4
Tulsa Shock 2010–2015 5,173 59 145 .289 1 0 2 .000 0
Utah Starzz 1997–2002 7,334 87 99 .468 2 2 5 .286 0
Washington Mystics 1998–present 11,288 273 395 .409 10 8 21 .276 1

See also

References

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General references

  • Evans, Jayda (July 16, 2007). "WNBA Gets First Rights Fee". The Seattle Times. Retrieved July 16, 2007.
  • Heath, Thomas (July 12, 2006). "A Matter of Value". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 12, 2006.
  • "Minimum NBA Salary". Inside Hoops. August 10, 2005. Retrieved September 4, 2006.
  • "Salary Cap for 2004–05 Is $43.87 million". National Basketball Association. July 13, 2004. Retrieved July 13, 2004.
  • "History of the WNBA". Women's National Basketball Association. Retrieved September 4, 2006.
  • "Start of Season Conference Call". Women's National Basketball Association. May 14, 2007. Retrieved May 14, 2007.
  • "Hoops Happening: Today in women's basketball". Tamryn Spruill. May 1, 2018. Retrieved September 15, 2018.

External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Women's National Basketball Association.
  • Official website  
  • WNBA statistics at Basketball-Reference.com

May 10, 2023
women, national, basketball, association, wnba, redirects, here, other, uses, wnba, disambiguation, wnba, american, professional, basketball, league, current, season, competition, edition, 2023, wnba, seasonsportbasketballfoundedapril, 1996, years, 1996, found. WNBA redirects here For other uses see WNBA disambiguation The Women s National Basketball Association WNBA is an American professional basketball league Women s National Basketball AssociationCurrent season competition or edition 2023 WNBA seasonSportBasketballFoundedApril 22 1996 27 years ago 1996 04 22 FounderDavid SternInaugural season1997CommissionerCathy EngelbertMottoWatch Me WorkNo of teams12CountryUnited StatesHeadquartersNew York CityMost recentchampion s Las Vegas Aces 1st title Most titlesHouston CometsMinnesota LynxSeattle Storm 4 titles each TV partner s United States ABC ESPN ESPN2 ESPN3CBS CBS Sports NetworkNBA TVIONCanada TSN1 TSN2 TSN3 TSN4 TSN5Sportsnet Sportsnet One Sportsnet 360NBA TV CanadaInternational Amazon Prime VideoFacebookTwitterOfficial websiteWNBA comIt is composed of twelve teams all based in the United States The league was founded on April 22 1996 as the women s counterpart to the National Basketball Association NBA and league play started in 1997 The regular season is played from May to September with the All Star game being played midway through the season in July except in Olympic years and the WNBA Finals at the end of September until the beginning of October Five WNBA teams have direct NBA counterparts and normally play in the same arena Indiana Fever Los Angeles Sparks Minnesota Lynx New York Liberty and Phoenix Mercury The Atlanta Dream Chicago Sky Connecticut Sun Dallas Wings Las Vegas Aces Seattle Storm and Washington Mystics do not share an arena with a direct NBA counterpart although four of the seven the Dream the Sky the Wings and the Mystics share a market with an NBA counterpart two Mystics and Dream play in NBA G League arenas while the Storm shared an arena and market with an NBA team the SuperSonics at the time of its founding The Dream Sky Sun Wings Aces Sparks and Storm are all independently owned The Aces are owned by Mark Davis who also owns the Las Vegas Raiders of the NFL Contents 1 History 1 1 League founded and play begins 1996 97 1 2 Houston domination and league expansion 1997 2000 1 3 The L A Sparks new league ownership and contraction 2001 2002 1 4 Bill Laimbeer leaves his mark 2003 2006 1 5 Bringing Paul Ball to the WNBA 2007 2009 1 6 Changing of the guard 2010 2012 1 7 The Three to See 2013 1 8 New CBA and Commissioner s Cup plans 2020 1 8 1 2020 season at IMG Academy 1 9 Count It campaign celebrating 25th anniversary 2021 2 Teams 2 1 Relationship with NBA teams 2 2 Membership timeline 2 3 Relocated teams 2 4 Folded teams 3 Season format 3 1 Regular season 3 2 WNBA Commissioner s Cup 3 3 WNBA All Star Game 3 4 WNBA Playoffs 3 5 WNBA Finals 4 League championships 5 Players and coaches 5 1 Milestones 5 2 Awards 5 2 1 Most recent award winners 5 2 2 Retired numbers 5 3 Notable international players 6 Rules and regulations 6 1 Court dimensions 7 Business 7 1 Finance 7 2 Activism 7 3 Sponsorships 7 4 Salaries rosters and collective bargaining 7 5 Merchandise 7 6 WNBA Presidents Commissioners 8 Attendance 9 Media coverage 9 1 WNBA League Pass 9 2 Viewership 10 All time franchise history through 2017 11 See also 12 References 12 1 Citations 12 2 General references 13 External linksHistory EditLeague founded and play begins 1996 97 Edit The creation of the WNBA was officially approved by the NBA Board of Governors on April 24 1996 1 and announced at a press conference with Rebecca Lobo Lisa Leslie and Sheryl Swoopes in attendance 2 The new WNBA had to compete with the recently formed American Basketball League another professional women s basketball league that began play in the fall of 1996 but would cease operation during its 1998 99 season The WNBA began with eight teams the Charlotte Sting Cleveland Rockers Houston Comets and New York Liberty in the Eastern Conference and the Los Angeles Sparks Phoenix Mercury Sacramento Monarchs and Utah Starzz in the Western Conference 3 While not the first major women s professional basketball league in the United States a distinction held by the defunct WBL the WNBA is the only league to receive full backing of the NBA 4 The WNBA logo Logo Woman paralleled the NBA logo and was selected out of 50 different designs 3 On the heels of a much publicized gold medal run by the 1996 USA Basketball Women s National Team at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games the WNBA began its first season on June 21 1997 to little fanfare The first WNBA game featured the New York Liberty facing the Los Angeles Sparks in Los Angeles The game was televised nationally in the United States on the NBC television network At the start of the 1997 season the WNBA had television deals in place with NBC NBA rights holder and the Walt Disney Company and Hearst Corporation joint venture channels ESPN and Lifetime Television Network respectively Penny Toler scored the league s first point 5 6 Houston domination and league expansion 1997 2000 Edit The WNBA centered its marketing campaign dubbed We Got Next around stars Rebecca Lobo Lisa Leslie and Sheryl Swoopes 7 In the league s first season Leslie s Los Angeles Sparks underperformed and Swoopes sat out much of the season due to her pregnancy The WNBA s true star in 1997 was WNBA MVP Cynthia Cooper Swoopes teammate on the Houston Comets The Comets defeated Lobo s New York Liberty in the first WNBA Championship game The initial We Got Next advertisement ran before each WNBA season until it was replaced with the We Got Game campaign Sheryl Swoopes the first player signed shown in 2008 Two teams were added in 1998 Detroit and Washington 8 and two more were added in 1999 Orlando and Minnesota bringing the number of teams in the league up to twelve 9 The 1999 season began with a collective bargaining agreement between players and the league 10 marking the first collective bargaining agreement to be signed in the history of women s professional sports 11 The WNBA also announced in 1999 that it would add four more teams for the 2000 season the Indiana Fever the Seattle Storm the Miami Sol and the Portland Fire bringing the league up to 16 teams with WNBA President Val Ackerman discussing expansion This won t be the end of it We expect to keep growing the league 12 In 1999 the league s chief competition the American Basketball League folded Many of the ABL s star players including several Olympic gold medalists such as Nikki McCray and Dawn Staley and a number of standout college performers including Kate Starbird and Jennifer Rizzotti then joined the rosters of WNBA teams and in so doing enhanced the overall quality of play in the league When a lockout resulted in an abbreviated NBA season the WNBA saw faltering TV viewership On May 23 2000 the Houston Comets became the first WNBA team to be invited to the White House Rose Garden Before this invitation only men s sports teams had traveled to the White House At the end of the 2000 season the Houston Comets won their fourth championship capturing every title since the league s inception Led by the Big Three of Sheryl Swoopes Tina Thompson and four time Finals MVP Cynthia Cooper the Comets dominated every team in the league Under head coach Van Chancellor the team posted a 98 24 record through their first four seasons 16 3 in the Playoffs After 2000 Cooper retired from the league and the Comets dynasty came to an end The L A Sparks new league ownership and contraction 2001 2002 Edit Lisa Leslie of the Sparks The top contender in the 2001 season was the Los Angeles Sparks Led by Lisa Leslie the Sparks posted a regular season record of 28 4 They advanced to their first ever WNBA Finals and swept the Charlotte Sting Looking to repeat in 2002 the Sparks again made a strong run toward the postseason going 25 7 in the regular season under head coach Michael Cooper formerly of the Los Angeles Lakers Again Leslie dominated opponents throughout the Playoffs leading the Sparks to a perfect 6 0 record through all three rounds beating the New York Liberty in the 2002 Finals Teams and the league were collectively owned by the NBA until the end of 2002 when the NBA sold WNBA teams either to their NBA counterparts in the same city or to a third party as a result of the dot com bubble This led to two teams moving Utah moved to San Antonio and Orlando moved to Connecticut and became the first WNBA team to be owned by a third party instead of an NBA franchise This sale of teams also led to two teams folding the Miami Sol and Portland Fire because new owners could not be found Bill Laimbeer leaves his mark 2003 2006 Edit The Women s National Basketball Players Association WNBPA threatened to strike in 2003 if a new deal was not worked out between players and the league The result was a delay in the start of the 2003 preseason The 2003 WNBA Draft was also delayed and negative publicity was gained from this strike 13 After taking over a struggling franchise in 2002 former Detroit Pistons forward Bill Laimbeer had high hopes for the Detroit Shock in 2003 The team was just 9 23 in 2002 The Shock had three all stars in the 2003 All Star Game Swin Cash Cheryl Ford and Deanna Nolan Laimbeer orchestrated a worst to first turnaround and the Shock finished the season 25 9 in first place in the Eastern Conference Winning the first two rounds of the Playoffs the Shock faced two time champion Los Angeles Sparks and Lisa Leslie in the 2003 Finals The Shock beat the Sparks winning game three on a three pointer by Deanna Nolan Bill Laimbeer After the 2003 season the Cleveland Rockers one of the league s original eight teams folded because the owners were unwilling to continue operating the franchise Val Ackerman the first WNBA president resigned effective February 1 2005 citing the desire to spend more time with her family Ackerman later became president of USA Basketball On February 15 2005 NBA Commissioner David Stern announced that Donna Orender who had been serving as the Senior Vice President of the PGA Tour and who had played for several teams in the now defunct Women s Pro Basketball League would be Ackerman s successor as of April 2005 The WNBA awarded an expansion team to Chicago later named the Sky in February 2006 In the off season a set of rule changes was approved that made the WNBA more like the NBA 14 In 2006 the league became the first team oriented women s professional sports league to exist for ten consecutive seasons 15 On the occasion of the tenth anniversary the WNBA released its All Decade Team comprising the ten WNBA players to have contributed through on court play and off court activities the most to women s basketball during the league s existence After missing out on the Finals in 2004 and 2005 the Shock bounced back in 2006 behind newly acquired Katie Smith along with six remaining members from their 2003 Finals run Cash Ford Holland Corn Nolan Powell and Riley The Shock finished second in the Eastern Conference and knocked off first seeded Connecticut in the second round of the Playoffs The Shock faced reigning champion Sacramento Monarchs in a five game series The Shock won game five on their home floor Bringing Paul Ball to the WNBA 2007 2009 Edit Diana Taurasi of the Mercury In December 2006 the Charlotte Bobcats organization announced it would no longer operate the Charlotte Sting Soon after the WNBA announced that the Sting would not operate for 2007 A dispersal draft was held on January 8 2007 Teams selected in inverse order of their 2006 records Chicago received the first pick Former Los Angeles Lakers championship coach Paul Westhead was named head coach of the Phoenix Mercury on October 11 2005 bringing his up tempo style of play to the WNBA This fast paced offense was perfect for his team especially after the league shortened the shot clock from 30 seconds to 24 seconds in 2006 Much like the early Houston Comets championship teams the Phoenix Mercury had risen to prominence led by their own Big Three of Cappie Pondexter Diana Taurasi and Penny Taylor The Mercury was well suited for the fast offense behind these three players Phoenix averaged a league record 88 97 points per game in 2007 teams could not keep up with the new style of play and the Mercury were propelled into first place in the Western Conference Facing the reigning champion Detroit Shock the Mercury imposed their high scoring offense with hopes of capturing their first title in franchise history Averaging 93 2 points per game in the Finals series the Mercury beat Detroit on their home floor in front of 22 076 fans in game five to claim their first ever WNBA title In October 2007 the WNBA awarded another expansion franchise to Atlanta Atlanta businessman Ron Terwilliger was the original owner of the new team Citizens of Atlanta were able to vote for their choices for the new team s nickname and colors 16 The Dream as they were named played their first regular season game on May 17 which was a 67 100 loss to the Connecticut Sun Paul Westhead resigned from the Mercury after capturing the 2007 title and Penny Taylor opted to stay home to prepare for the 2008 Summer Olympics causing the Mercury to falter in 2008 The team posted a 16 18 record and became the first team in WNBA history to miss the Playoffs after winning the championship in the previous season In their place the Detroit Shock won their third championship under coach Bill Laimbeer solidifying their place in WNBA history before Laimbeer resigned early in 2009 effectively ending the Shock dynasty During the 2008 regular season the first ever outdoor professional basketball game in North America was played at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City 17 18 The Indiana Fever defeated the New York Liberty 71 55 in front of over 19 000 fans Late in 2008 the WNBA took over ownership of one of the league s original franchises the Houston Comets The Comets ceased operations on December 1 2008 after no owners for the franchise could be found 19 A dispersal draft took place on December 8 2008 and with the first pick Sancho Lyttle was taken by the Atlanta Dream After an unsatisfying conclusion in 2008 the Mercury looked to bounce back to championship caliber New head coach Corey Gaines implemented Paul Westhead s style of play and the Mercury averaged 92 82 points per game throughout the 2009 season Helped by the return of Penny Taylor the Mercury once again locked up first place in the Western Conference and advanced to the 2009 Finals The championship series was a battle of contrasting styles as the Mercury number one league offense 92 82 points per game had to face the Indiana Fever number three league defense 73 55 points per game The series went five games including arguably one of the most thrilling games in WNBA history in game one of the series Phoenix won in overtime 120 116 The Mercury beat the Fever in game five this time on their home court to capture their second WNBA championship Not only did Paul Westhead s system influence his Mercury team but it created a domino effect throughout the league Young athletic players were capable of scoring more and playing at a faster pace As a league the 2010 average of 80 35 points per game was the best far surpassing the 69 2 average in the league s inaugural season Changing of the guard 2010 2012 Edit Sylvia Fowles of the Sky On October 20 2009 the WNBA announced that the Detroit Shock would relocate to Tulsa Oklahoma to become the Tulsa Shock 20 On November 20 2009 the WNBA announced that the Sacramento Monarchs had folded due to lack of support from its current owners the Maloof family who were also the owners of the Sacramento Kings at the time The league announced it would seek new owners to relocate the team to the San Francisco Bay area however no ownership was found and a dispersal draft was held on December 14 2009 The 2010 season saw a tight race in the East with three teams being tied for first place on the final day of the regular season Five of the six teams in the East were in first place at some point during the season The East held a 681 winning percentage over the West its highest ever In the 2010 Finals two new teams represented each conference the Seattle Storm and the Atlanta Dream Seattle made their first finals appearance since winning it all in 2004 and Atlanta coming into the playoffs as a four seed impressively swept its opponents in the first two rounds to advance to the Finals in only the third year of the team s existence After the 2010 season President Orender announced she would be resigning from her position as of December 31 On April 21 2011 NBA commissioner David Stern announced that former Girl Scouts of the USA Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Laurel J Richie would assume duties as president on May 16 2011 The 2011 season began with strong publicity helped by the rising young stars of the league and the NBA lockout 21 The 2011 NBA lockout began on July 1 2011 Unlike the previous lockout which affected the WNBA president Laurel J Richie confirmed that this lockout would not affect the WNBA If the NBA season was shortened or canceled the 2012 WNBA season including the WNBA teams still owned by NBA owners would run as planned The lockout ended on November 26 and NBA teams would play a 66 game regular season following the lockout Many news outlets began covering the league more frequently NBA TV the television home of the NBA scheduled over 70 regular season games to be televised along with a dozen more on ESPN2 and ABC The new influx of young talent into the league gave many teams something to be excited about Players like Candace Parker of the Sparks Maya Moore of the Lynx DeWanna Bonner of the Mercury Angel McCoughtry of the Dream Sylvia Fowles of the Sky Tina Charles of the Sun and Liz Cambage of the Shock brought a new level of excitement to the game adding talent to the teams of young veterans such as Diana Taurasi Seimone Augustus and Cappie Pondexter The level of play seemed to be evidenced by higher scoring better defense and higher shooting percentages By the end of the 2011 regular season nine of the twelve teams in the league had increased attendance over their 2010 averages 22 Connecticut Sun center Tina Charles set a league record for double doubles in a season with 23 Also Sylvia Fowles of the Chicago Sky became only the second player in WNBA history to finish a season averaging at least 20 points 20 0ppg and 10 rebounds 10 2rpg per game The San Antonio Silver Stars experienced boosts from their young players as well rookie Danielle Adams scored 32 points off the bench in June and fellow rookie Danielle Robinson had a 36 point game in September Atlanta Dream forward Angel McCoughtry was the first player in league history to average over 20 points per game 21 6ppg while playing under 30 minutes per game 27 9mpg McCoughtry led her team to the Finals for the second straight year but despite breaking her own Finals scoring record the Dream was swept for the second straight year this time by the Minnesota Lynx which won its first title behind a fully healthy Seimone Augustus 2012 featured a long Olympic break The Indiana Fever won that year s WNBA championship The Three to See 2013 Edit The much publicized 2013 WNBA Draft produced Baylor University star Brittney Griner Delaware s Elena Delle Donne and Notre Dame All American Skylar Diggins now Diggins Smith as the top three picks the draft was the first to be televised in primetime on ESPN Griner Delle Donne and Diggins have thus been labeled The Three To See but with the draft also came standouts such as Tayler Hill Layshia Clarendon and Alex Bentley The retirement of legends Katie Smith Tina Thompson Ticha Penicheiro and Sheryl Swoopes coupled with the arrival of highly touted rookies and new rule changes effectively marked the end of an era for the WNBA and the ushering of another citation needed On the court the Minnesota Lynx won their second title in three years defeating the Atlanta Dream in the Finals and becoming the first team to sweep the playoff since the Seattle Storm The promotion of Griner Delle Donne and Diggins helped boost television ratings for the league by 28 percent and half of the teams ended the season profitable 23 24 The improved health of the league was on display after the season when the Los Angeles Sparks ownership group folded it took the league only a few weeks to line up Guggenheim Partners to purchase the team and the franchise also garnered interest from the ownership of the Golden State Warriors Two more franchise relocations happened in the following years as the Tulsa Shock moved in 2016 to the Dallas Fort Worth region in Texas being renamed Dallas Wings 25 and in 2018 the San Antonio Stars went to Nevada becoming the Las Vegas Aces 26 New CBA and Commissioner s Cup plans 2020 Edit During the 2018 season the WNBA players union opted out of the collective bargaining agreement CBA with the league which then ended after the 2019 season In January 2020 the league and union announced that they had reached an agreement on a new CBA to take effect with the 2020 season and running through 2027 Among the features of the new agreement were 27 28 Total player compensation increased by slightly over 50 While most of this increase went to star players all players benefited to some degree and both sides were interested mainly in limiting if not eliminating overseas play by the league s top players Players are able to reach unrestricted free agency a year earlier than before The previous CBA allowed a team to designate a player as core similar to the NFL s franchise tag four times This dropped to three in 2020 and will drop further to two in 2022 All player air travel to regular season games is at a minimum premium economy class Also each player has her own hotel room for road games Players receive their full salary while on maternity leave Additionally an annual childcare stipend of 5 000 per player is provided teams must make apartments of at least two bedrooms available to players with children and add facilities for nursing mothers and the league offers family planning benefits that allow up to a 60 000 reimbursement for veteran players for expenses related to adoption surrogacy embryo preservation or infertility treatment The CBA is transitioning toward severely penalizing veteran players for late arrival at WNBA training camps By the sixth year of the CBA players with more than 2 years of service who miss the start of training camp will be suspended for the season Exceptions include serious injury national team commitments for non US players college graduations and other significant life events The CBA also addressed the issue of players serving on NBA coaching staffs during the traditional basketball season This came to a head during the 2019 offseason when the Washington Wizards owned by the same company that owns the WNBA s Mystics hired Mystics player Kristi Toliver as an assistant Under the previous CBA teams were allowed only 50 000 per year to allocate to players as an enticement to not play overseas Because of the Mystics and Wizards shared ownership the Wizards could only pay Toliver from the Mystics 50 000 allocation most of which had already been committed to Elena Delle Donne a player who normally does not go overseas With the new CBA veteran players can work as coaches in the NBA without a salary limit regardless of the team s ownership structure Also in January 2020 the WNBA announced a new in season tournament the Commissioner s Cup which would begin with the 2020 season Each team was scheduled to play 10 Cup games during the season specifically the first home and road games against each team in its conference The final Cup games were to be played in July with the top team in the Cup standings from each conference advancing to a one off Cup final in August 29 The 2020 WNBA schedule originally included a month long break in July and August to allow players to participate in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics The 2020 games were postponed until 2021 due to the COVID 19 pandemic rendering the break unnecessary On April 3 2020 the WNBA announced that the beginning of its own schedule would be postponed The 2020 entry draft took place as originally scheduled on April 17 although it was done remotely 30 No details of the revised schedule were announced as of the time of the draft and the Commissioner s Cup was ultimately not held in 2020 2020 season at IMG Academy Edit In June 2020 WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced plans for the league to have a 22 game regular season and a traditional playoff format to be held exclusively at IMG Academy in Bradenton Florida The players were housed at the Bradenton complex and all games and practices took place there Players had until June 25 to let their teams know whether they planned to participate 31 Count It campaign celebrating 25th anniversary 2021 Edit On March 15 2021 an announcement was made that the WNBA would introduce a ceremonial logo basketball and uniforms as part of its 25th anniversary celebratory campaign called Count It 32 Also as part of the campaign the league unveiled The W25 consisting of 25 players determined to be the league s greatest and most influential as chosen by a panel made up of media and pioneering women s players 33 The delayed launch of the Commissioner s Cup was officially announced on May 12 2021 two days before the start of the regular season The originally planned schedule with the first home game and first road game of each team against each of its fellow conference members doubling as Cup games was maintained All Cup games within each conference were played before the league took its Olympic break after July 11 The Cup final officially termed the Commissioner s Cup Championship Game involves the conference leaders in the Cup standings its first edition was held on August 12 as the league s first game after the Olympic break and was streamed via Amazon Prime Video A prize pool of 500 000 is provided for the Cup with players on the winning team guaranteed a minimum bonus of 30 000 and those of the losing team guaranteed 10 000 and the championship game MVP receiving an extra 5 000 34 Teams Edit Liberty Sun Sky Fever Dream Mystics Wings Lynx Storm Mercury Sparks Aces The WNBA originated with 8 teams in 1997 and through a sequence of expansions contractions and relocations currently consists of 12 teams There have been a total of 18 franchises in WNBA history As of the league s most recent 2022 season the Las Vegas Aces formerly the Utah Starzz and San Antonio Silver Stars Los Angeles Sparks New York Liberty and Phoenix Mercury are the only remaining franchises that were founded in 1997 Arenas listed below reflect those expected to be used in the league s next season in 2023 Conference Team City Arena Capacity Joined Head coachEasternAtlanta Dream College Park Georgia Gateway Center Arena 3 500 2008 Tanisha WrightChicago Sky Chicago Illinois Wintrust Arena 10 387 2006 James WadeConnecticut Sun Uncasville Connecticut Mohegan Sun Arena 9 323 1999 Stephanie WhiteIndiana Fever Indianapolis Indiana Gainbridge Fieldhouse 17 923 2000 Christie SidesNew York Liberty Brooklyn New York Barclays Center 17 732 a 1997 Sandy BrondelloWashington Mystics Washington D C Entertainment and Sports Arena 4 200 1998 Eric ThibaultWesternDallas Wings Arlington Texas College Park Center 7 000 1998 Latricia TrammellLas Vegas Aces Paradise Nevada Michelob Ultra Arena 12 000 1997 Becky Hammon 35 Los Angeles Sparks Los Angeles California Crypto com Arena 18 997 1997 Curt MillerMinnesota Lynx Minneapolis Minnesota Target Center 19 356 1999 Cheryl ReevePhoenix Mercury Phoenix Arizona Footprint Center 18 422 1997 Vanessa NygaardSeattle Storm Seattle Washington Climate Pledge Arena 18 100 2000 Noelle QuinnAn asterisk in the table above denotes a franchise move see the respective team articles for more information Notes Full capacity the Liberty initially planned to limit ticket sales to 8 000 Relationship with NBA teams Edit Six WNBA teams are associated with an NBA team from the same market and are known as sister teams These teams include the Brooklyn Nets and New York Liberty the Indiana Pacers and Fever the Los Angeles Lakers and Sparks the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx the Phoenix Suns and Mercury and the Washington Wizards and Mystics Of these teams only the Sparks have completely separate ownership The Liberty had been associated with the New York Knicks having been owned by the Knicks parent company The Madison Square Garden Company 36 37 but the team was sold in January 2019 to a group led by Joseph Tsai then a minority owner of the Nets 38 and now sole owner of that team 39 Through the 2017 season the San Antonio Spurs and Stars were also paired but that relationship ended in October 2017 when the Stars were bought by MGM Resorts International and moved to Las Vegas 40 Three WNBA teams are in the same market as an NBA team but are not affiliated Though located in the same market the Chicago Sky is not affiliated with the Bulls as evidenced by their differing home arenas the Sky play at Wintrust Arena in Chicago s Near South Side while the Bulls play at United Center in the city s Near West Side The Dallas Wings which had been the Tulsa Shock before moving to the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex after the 2015 season are not affiliated with the existing NBA team in the Metroplex the Dallas Mavericks As with the Sky and Bulls the Wings and Mavericks play in different areas with the Wings playing at College Park Center in Arlington as opposed to the Mavericks playing in downtown Dallas at American Airlines Center While the Atlanta Dream shared State Farm Arena with the Hawks from the Dream s inception in 2008 to 2016 and again in 2019 the Hawks never held any ownership stake in the WNBA team The remaining WNBA team the Seattle Storm was formerly the sister team of the SuperSonics but was sold to a Seattle based group before the SuperSonics relocated and became the Oklahoma City Thunder The now defunct Charlotte Sting Miami Sol Portland Fire Cleveland Rockers Orlando Miracle Houston Comets and Sacramento Monarchs were also sister teams of the Hornets Heat Trail Blazers Cavaliers Magic Rockets and Kings respectively The Utah Starzz were affiliated with the Jazz before relocating to San Antonio as the Silver Stars under the ownership of the parent company of the Spurs in 2003 Becoming the Stars in 2014 they shared the Spurs team colors The team would eventually relocate to Las Vegas as the Aces in 2017 The Detroit Shock was the sister team of the Pistons until the teams owner sold the Shock to investors who moved the team to Tulsa Oklahoma During its tenure in Tulsa it was not affiliated with Oklahoma s NBA team the Oklahoma City Thunder Five teams share a market with an NBA G League team Two of these also share arenas the Dream share College Park and the Gateway Center Arena with the College Park Skyhawks while the Mystics share Washington D C and the Entertainment and Sports Arena with the Capital City Go Go Also the Sparks share the Los Angeles market with the Ontario Clippers and South Bay Lakers the Wings share the Dallas Fort Worth market with the Texas Legends and the Liberty shares the New York City market with the Long Island Nets and Westchester Knicks Two other teams are located within 150 miles of WNBA teams the Delaware Blue Coats and Fort Wayne Mad Ants being near the Mystics and Fever respectively The Stars were also within 150 miles of a G League team the Austin Spurs before their move to Las Vegas The Shock shared the Tulsa market with the Tulsa 66ers until the latter team was relocated to become the Oklahoma City Blue in 2014 while the Mercury were about 100 miles from the Northern Arizona Suns before the Suns moved to Detroit Membership timeline Edit WNBA expansionand contraction Season s Teams1997 81998 101999 122000 2002 162003 142004 2005 132006 142007 132008 142009 132010 present 12Relocated teams Edit Detroit Shock 1998 2009 relocated to Tulsa Oklahoma Orlando Miracle 1999 2002 relocated to Uncasville Connecticut Utah Starzz 1997 2002 relocated to San Antonio Texas Tulsa Shock 2010 2015 relocated to Arlington Texas San Antonio Stars 2003 2017 relocated to Las Vegas Nevada Folded teams Edit Charlotte Sting 1997 2006 Cleveland Rockers 1997 2003 Houston Comets 1997 2008 Miami Sol 2000 2002 Portland Fire 2000 2002 Sacramento Monarchs 1997 2009Season format EditRegular season Edit Maya Moore of the Minnesota Lynx MVP of the 2014 WNBA season Teams hold training camps in May Training camps allow the coaching staff to prepare the players for the regular season and determine the 12 woman roster with which they will begin the regular season After training camp a series of preseason exhibition games are held The WNBA regular season begins in May Come 2023 during the regular season each team will play 40 games 20 each of home amp away As in the NBA each team hosts and visits every other team at least once every season During years in which the Summer Olympics are held the WNBA takes a month off in the middle of the season to allow players to practice and compete with their respective national teams During years in which the FIBA World Cup is held the WNBA either takes a break for the World Cup or ends its season early depending on the scheduling of the World Cup WNBA Commissioner s Cup Edit Main article WNBA Commissioner s Cup The 2020 season was planned to be the first for the Commissioner s Cup an in season tournament Each team s first home and away games against each of its conference opponents all of which were to be played in the first half of the season were designated as Cup games After each team played its 10 Cup games the top team in each conference s Cup standings would advance to the Commissioner s Cup Final a single match held in August The COVID 19 pandemic caused the tournament to be scrapped for the time being the tournament instead launched in 2021 under the originally announced format WNBA All Star Game Edit Main article WNBA All Star Game In 1999 the league held its first ever All Star Game where the best players of the Eastern Conference played against the best players of the Western Conference The West dominated play until 2006 when the East finally won a game In July the regular season pauses to celebrate the annual WNBA All Star Game The game is part of a weekend long event held in a selected WNBA city each year The game is played on the selected WNBA team s home court Through the 2017 edition the All Star Game featured star players from the Western Conference facing star players from the Eastern Conference Since 2018 conference affiliations have been ignored in team selections During the season voting for All Star starters takes place among fans WNBA players and sports media members The starters are selected by a weighted vote fans 50 players and media 25 each while reserves are selected by the league s head coaches The two players with the most fan votes are named team captains who then fill out their teams in a draft format similar to that currently used for the NBA All Star Game In 2004 The Game at Radio City was held in a place of a traditional All Star Game The 2006 All Star Game was the first game to feature custom uniforms that match the decade anniversary logo From 2008 through 2016 no All Star Game was held in any Summer Olympic year In 2010 an exhibition game Stars at the Sun was held Although the 2020 Summer Olympics were postponed to 2021 due to COVID 19 no All Star Game was played in that season The 2021 season featured the first All Star Game in an Olympic year since 2000 this contest featured a WNBA all star team facing the US national team Shortly after the All Star break is the trading deadline After this date teams are not allowed to exchange players with each other for the remainder of the season although they may still sign and release players Major trades are often completed right before the trading deadline WNBA Playoffs Edit Main article WNBA Playoffs The WNBA Playoffs usually begin in late September though in years of the FIBA World Cup they begin in August In the current system the eight best teams by the regular season record without regard to conference alignment qualify for the playoffs Since 2022 the playoffs have been held in a standard knockout format with the first round consisting of best of three series and the semifinals and finals being best of five 41 Since 2021 Google has been the official sponsor 42 Having a higher seed offers several advantages The higher seed will generally face a weaker team and will have home court advantage in each round In the current playoff format all quarterfinal series use a 2 1 home court pattern which allows the higher seed the opportunity to win the series without having to visit the lower seed This in turn means that a lower seed that wins one of the first two games will host the series decider 41 The quarterfinals are bracketed in the normal manner for an 8 team tournament with 1 vs 8 and 4 vs 5 on one side of the bracket and 2 vs 7 and 3 vs 6 on the other The winners of each quarterfinal series advance to the semifinals with the bracket not being reseeded The semifinals use a 2 2 1 home court pattern meaning that the higher seeded team will have home court in games 1 2 and 5 while the other team plays at home in game 3 and 4 The finals are also played in a 2 2 1 home court pattern WNBA Finals Edit Main article WNBA Finals The final playoff round a best of five series between the two semifinal winners is known as the WNBA Finals and is held annually currently scheduled for October Each player on the winning team receives a championship ring Also the league awards a WNBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award For this round the series follows a 2 2 1 pattern meaning that one team will have home court in games 1 2 and 5 while the other plays at home in games 3 and 4 The 2 2 1 pattern in the WNBA Finals has been in place since 2005 The WNBA Finals1990sSeason Champions Runners up Format Results Finals MVPTeam Coach Team Coach1997 Houston Comets Van Chancellor New York Liberty Nancy Darsch Single game 65 51 Cynthia Cooper1998 Phoenix Mercury Cheryl Miller Best of three 2 11999 New York Liberty Richie Adubato 2000sSeason Champions Runners up Format Results Finals MVPTeam Coach Team Coach2000 Houston Comets Van Chancellor New York Liberty Richie Adubato Best of three 2 0 Cynthia Cooper2001 Los Angeles Sparks Michael Cooper Charlotte Sting Anne Donovan Lisa Leslie2002 New York Liberty Richie Adubato2003 Detroit Shock Bill Laimbeer Los Angeles Sparks Michael Cooper 2 1 Ruth Riley2004 Seattle Storm Anne Donovan Connecticut Sun Mike Thibault Betty Lennox2005 Sacramento Monarchs John Whisenant Best of five 3 1 Yolanda Griffith2006 Detroit Shock Bill Laimbeer Sacramento Monarchs John Whisenant 3 2 Deanna Nolan2007 Phoenix Mercury Paul Westhead Detroit Shock Bill Laimbeer Cappie Pondexter2008 Detroit Shock Bill Laimbeer San Antonio Silver Stars Dan Hughes 3 0 Katie Smith2009 Phoenix Mercury Corey Gaines Indiana Fever Lin Dunn 3 2 Diana Taurasi 2010sSeason Champions Runners up Format Results Finals MVPTeam Coach Team Coach2010 Seattle Storm Brian Agler Atlanta Dream Marynell Meadors Best of five 3 0 Lauren Jackson2011 Minnesota Lynx Cheryl Reeve Seimone Augustus2012 Indiana Fever Lin Dunn Minnesota Lynx Cheryl Reeve 3 1 Tamika Catchings2013 Minnesota Lynx Cheryl Reeve Atlanta Dream Fred Williams 3 0 Maya Moore2014 Phoenix Mercury Sandy Brondello Chicago Sky Pokey Chatman Diana Taurasi2015 Minnesota Lynx Cheryl Reeve Indiana Fever Stephanie White 3 2 Sylvia Fowles2016 Los Angeles Sparks Brian Agler Minnesota Lynx Cheryl Reeve Candace Parker2017 Minnesota Lynx Cheryl Reeve Los Angeles Sparks Brian Agler Sylvia Fowles2018 Seattle Storm Dan Hughes Washington Mystics Mike Thibault 3 0 Breanna Stewart2019 Washington Mystics Mike Thibault Connecticut Sun Curt Miller 3 2 Emma Meesseman 2020sSeason Champions Runners up Format Results Finals MVPTeam Coach Team Coach2020 Seattle Storm Gary Kloppenburg Las Vegas Aces Bill Laimbeer Best of five 3 0 Breanna Stewart2021 Chicago Sky James Wade Phoenix Mercury Sandy Brondello Best of five 3 1 Kahleah Copper2022 Las Vegas Aces Becky Hammon Connecticut Sun Curt Miller Best of five 3 1 Chelsea GrayLeague championships EditThe Houston Comets Minnesota Lynx and Seattle Storm hold the distinction of having won the most championships with four titles each The Comets folded in 2008 The Lynx have the most appearances in the championship with six all occurring in the seven years from 2011 to 2017 Teams in red have folded Teams Win Loss Total Year s won Year s lostMinnesota Lynx 4 2 6 2011 2013 2015 2017 2012 2016Houston Comets folded in 2008 4 0 4 1997 1998 1999 2000 Seattle Storm 4 0 4 2004 2010 2018 2020 Los Angeles Sparks 3 2 5 2001 2002 2016 2003 2017Phoenix Mercury 3 2 5 2007 2009 2014 1998 2021Detroit Shock now Dallas Wings 3 1 4 2003 2006 2008 2007Indiana Fever 1 2 3 2012 2009 2015Las Vegas Aces previously San Antonio Stars 1 2 3 2022 2008 2020Sacramento Monarchs folded in 2009 1 1 2 2005 2006Washington Mystics 1 1 2 2019 2018Chicago Sky 1 1 2 2021 2014New York Liberty 0 4 4 1997 1999 2000 2002Connecticut Sun 0 4 4 2004 2005 2019 2022Atlanta Dream 0 3 3 2010 2011 2013Charlotte Sting folded in 2006 0 1 1 2001Former teams that have no WNBA Finals appearances Cleveland Rockers 1997 2003 Miami Sol 2000 2002 Portland Fire 2000 2002 Players and coaches EditMain articles List of Women s National Basketball Association players and List of Women s National Basketball Association head coaches See also List of foreign WNBA players Sue Bird a member of the All Decade Top 15 Top 20 and Top 25 teams In 2011 a decade and a half after the launch of the WNBA only two players remained from the league s inaugural season in 1997 Sheryl Swoopes and Tina Thompson Lisa Leslie was the longest tenured player from the 1997 draft class she spent her entire career 1997 2009 with the Los Angeles Sparks Sue Bird holds both of the league s most significant longevity records number of seasons in the league 19 and games played 580 The members of the WNBA s All Decade Team were chosen in 2006 on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the WNBA from amongst 30 nominees compiled by fans media coach and player voting The team was to comprise the 10 best and most influential players of the first decade of the WNBA with consideration also given to sportsmanship community service leadership and contribution to the growth of women s basketball Players for the WNBA s Top 15 Team were chosen in 2011 on the anniversary of the league s fifteenth season from amongst 30 nominees compiled similarly to that of the All Decade Team process This process was repeated for the league s 20th anniversary season in 2016 with the selection of the WNBA Top 20 20 and for the 25th anniversary season in 2021 with the selection of The W25 Over 30 players have scored at least 3 000 points in their WNBA careers Only 14 WNBA players have reached the 6 000 point milestone Diana Taurasi Tina Thompson Tamika Catchings Tina Charles Candice Dupree Cappie Pondexter Sue Bird Katie Smith Sylvia Fowles Candace Parker Lisa Leslie DeWanna Bonner Seimone Augustus and Lauren Jackson The scoring average leader is Cynthia Cooper who averaged 21 0 points per game 43 in five seasons with the Houston Comets 1997 2000 2003 44 In 2007 Paul Westhead of the Phoenix Mercury became the first person to earn both NBA and WNBA championship rings as a coach In 2008 50 year old Nancy Lieberman became the oldest player to play in a WNBA game She signed a seven day contract with the Detroit Shock and played one game tallying two assists and two turnovers in nine minutes of action By playing in the one game Lieberman broke a record that she had set in 1997 when she was the league s oldest player at 39 The oldest player to have participated in a full season is Bird who completed her final season in 2022 less than two months before turning 42 Sue Bird who played for the Seattle Storm from 2002 until her retirement in 2022 though she missed the 2013 and 2019 seasons to injury holds the record for career assists 45 with 3 234 in 580 regular season games 46 The record for most assists per game is currently held by Courtney Vandersloot an American who also holds a Hungarian passport and represents that country internationally She has averaged 6 64 assists per game during her career with the Chicago Sky 2011 2022 and New York Liberty from 2023 47 Vandersloot also has the top five seasons in assists per game with 8 1 in 2017 8 6 in 2018 and 2021 9 1 in 2019 and 10 0 in 2020 48 Milestones Edit See also WNBA records WNBA Milestones Milestone Player Team Date InformationFirst player signed Sheryl Swoopes Houston Comets October 23 1996 Signed by the WNBA and assigned to Houston First points scored Penny Toler Los Angeles Sparks June 21 1997 Scored the first points on a baseline jump shot First triple double Sheryl Swoopes Houston Comets July 27 1998 14 points 15 rebounds 10 assistsFirst slam dunk Lisa Leslie Los Angeles Sparks July 30 2002 Dunked on a fast break against MiamiFirst 50 40 90 season Elena Delle Donne Washington Mystics 2019 51 5 FG 43 0 3FG 97 4 FT 49 Most career points Diana Taurasi Phoenix Mercury 2004 2014 2016 present 9 693 pointsMost career rebounds Sylvia Fowles Chicago Sky Minnesota Lynx 2008 2022 4 007 reboundsMost career assists Sue Bird Seattle Storm 2002 2012 2014 2018 2020 2022 3 234 assistsMost 3 pointers Diana Taurasi Phoenix Mercury 2004 2014 2016 present 1 297 3 pointersMost points in a game Liz Cambage Dallas Wings July 17 2018 53 pointsMost rebounds in a game Chamique Holdsclaw Washington Mystics May 23 2003 24 reboundsMost assists in a game Courtney Vandersloot Chicago Sky August 31 2020 18 assistsMost career wins for a coach Mike Thibault Connecticut Sun Washington Mystics 50 2003 present 379 winsMost team points in one game Phoenix Mercury July 24 2010 127 points in double overtime against MinnesotaMost team points in a regulation game Phoenix Mercury July 22 2010 123 points against TulsaLargest margin of victory Minnesota Lynx August 18 2017 59 point win 111 52 over IndianaLargest attendance for one game Detroit Shock September 16 2007 22 076 in game 5 of 2007 FinalsAwards Edit Around the beginning of September or late August in Olympic and FIBA World Cup years the regular season ends It is during this time that voting begins for individual awards The Sixth Player of the Year Award known before 2021 as the Sixth Woman award is given to the best player coming off the bench must have more games coming off the bench than actual games started 51 The Rookie of the Year Award is awarded to the most outstanding first year player The Most Improved Player Award is awarded to the player who is deemed to have shown the most improvement from the previous season The Defensive Player of the Year Award is awarded to the league s best defender The Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award is awarded to the player who shows outstanding sportsmanship on and off the court The Coach of the Year Award is awarded to the coach that has made the most positive difference to a team The Most Valuable Player Award is given to the player deemed the most valuable for her team that season The Basketball Executive of the Year Award is presented to the team executive most instrumental in his or her team s success in that season The newest WNBA award first presented in 2019 is the season long version of the WNBA Community Assist Award presented to a player for especially meritorious community service a Also named are the All WNBA Teams the All Defensive Teams and the All Rookie Team each consists of five players There are two All WNBA teams starting with the 2022 season each consists of five top players selected without regard to position with first team status being the most desirable 53 There are two All Defensive teams each consisting of the top defenders at each position Finally there is one All Rookie team consisting of the top five first year players regardless of position In all cases a tie in voting may lead to a team containing six players instead of five Most recent award winners Edit All listed winners are from the 2022 season Award Winner Position Team Votes Statistic b Most Valuable Player Award A ja Wilson Forward Las Vegas Aces 31 out of 56Finals MVP Award Chelsea Gray Guard Las Vegas Aces N A c Rookie of the Year Award Rhyne Howard Guard Atlanta Dream 53 out of 56Most Improved Player Award Jackie Young Guard Las Vegas Aces 32 out of 56Defensive Player of the Year Award A ja Wilson Forward Las Vegas Aces 20 out of 56Sixth Player of the Year Award Brionna Jones Forward Connecticut Sun 53 out of 56Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award Sylvia Fowles Center Minnesota Lynx 36 out of 56Peak Performer Points Breanna Stewart Forward Seattle Storm 21 8 PPGPeak Performer Rebounds Sylvia Fowles Center Minnesota Lynx 9 8 RPGPeak Performer Assists Natasha Cloud Guard Washington Mystics 7 0 APGCoach of the Year Award Becky Hammon Coach Las Vegas Aces 27 out of 56Basketball Executive of the Year Award James Wade General manager d Chicago Sky 11 out of 11 e Community Assist Award Brianna Turner Forward Phoenix Mercury N A c Notes The Community Assist Award has been presented on a monthly basis during the season since 2008 but a season long version was not presented until 2019 52 Votes are listed as first place votes except as noted although the winners for all WNBA awards apart from the statistically based Peak Performer Awards are determined by points earned rather than first place votes a b The WNBA did not announce detailed voting results Wade was also the Sky s head coach in that season Wade was the only executive named on all possible ballots with no other executive being named on more than 7 However all ballots had votes for first second and third places and the WNBA did not provide a voting breakdown 54 Retired numbers Edit Lauren Jackson one of the most notable players in WNBA history Number 15 was retired by Seattle Storm in her honor No Team Player Pos Tenure note 1 Ref 9 Los Angeles Sparks Lisa Leslie C 1997 2009 55 56 11 Penny Toler G 1997 99 57 24 Indiana Fever Tamika Catchings SF 2002 16 58 25 Las Vegas Aces Becky Hammon note 2 G 2007 14 59 60 13 Minnesota Lynx Lindsay Whalen G 2010 18 61 32 Rebekkah Brunson F 2010 2018 62 33 Seimone Augustus G 2006 2019 63 7 Phoenix Mercury Michele Timms G 1997 2001 64 65 13 Penny Taylor G F 2004 16 66 22 Jennifer Gillom F 1997 200232 Bridget Pettis G 1997 200615 Seattle Storm Lauren Jackson F C 2001 12 67 68 Pending number retirementsNo Team Player Pos Tenure note 3 Ref 10 Seattle Storm Sue Bird G 2001 22 note 4 69 Notes Reflects tenure with the team that retired the player s number not necessarily identical to the player s WNBA tenure Number retired by the franchise when it was playing as the San Antonio Stars Hammon played the last eight seasons of her WNBA career in San Antonio The Aces which honored the number s retirement by the Stars held a second number retirement ceremony for Hammon on September 13 2021 Reflects tenure with the team that retired the player s number not necessarily identical to the player s WNBA tenure Bird missed the 2013 and 2019 seasons to injuries Notable international players Edit Further information List of foreign WNBA players A number of international players that have played in the WNBA have earned multiple all stars or won MVP awards Elena Baranova Russia among the first international players in the WNBA 1997 one time All Star 2001 Zheng Haixia China first winner of the Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award and first international player to win a WNBA award 1997 Margo Dydek Poland first international player to be 1 draft pick 1998 Lauren Jackson Australia two time champion 2004 2010 three time MVP and eight time All Star Ticha Penicheiro Portugal won a championship with the Monarchs in 2005 and four time All Star Penny Taylor Australia three time champion 2007 2009 2014 and four time All Star Tammy Sutton Brown Canada two time All Star Sophia Young Saint Vincent and the Grenadines four time All Star Janeth Arcain Brazil four time champion 1997 2000 one time All Star 2001 and Most Improved Player Award 2001 Some of these players among them Penicheiro Sutton Brown and Young played U S college basketball Rules and regulations EditRules are governed by standard basketball rules as defined by the NBA with a few notable exceptions The three point line is 22 ft 1 75 in 6 75 m from the center of the basket with a distance of 22 ft 6 71 m at the corners The main arc is essentially identical to that used by FIBA effective October 1 2012 for domestic competitions and NCAA play effective in 2019 20 in Division I and 2020 21 in Divisions II and III for men and in 2021 22 for all women s play The WNBA corner distance as measured from the center of the basket is identical to that of the NBA the FIBA and NCAA distance at the corners is 4 in 10 16 cm shorter The regulation WNBA ball is a minimum 28 5 inches 72 cm in circumference and weighs 20 0 ounces 570 g 1 inch 2 5 cm smaller and 2 ounces 57 g lighter than the NBA ball Since 2004 this size has been used for all senior level women s competitions throughout the world in full court basketball Competitions in the half court 3x3 variant used the women s ball until 2015 when a dedicated ball with the circumference of the women s ball but the weight of the men s ball was introduced Wilson became the WNBA ball supplier in 2021 Prior to that year Spalding had been the ball supplier since 1997 Quarters are 10 minutes in duration instead of 12 Games are divided into four 10 minute quarters as opposed to the league s original two 20 minute halves of play similar to FIBA and NCAA women s college rules A recent trend with new WNBA rules has been to match them with a similar NBA rule Since the 2006 WNBA season 70 The winner of the opening jump ball shall begin the 4th quarter with the ball out of bounds The loser shall begin with the ball out of bounds in the second and third quarters Previously under the two half format both periods started with jump balls presumably to eliminate the possibility of a team purposely losing the opening tip to gain the opening possession of the second half This is not a problem under the four quarters because the winner of the opening tip gets the opening possession of the final period The shot clock was decreased from 30 to 24 seconds matching the FIBA shot clock Starting in 2020 the last 5 seconds of the shot clock counted down in tenths of a second The 2007 WNBA season brought changes that included 71 The amount of time that a team must move the ball across the half court line went from 10 to 8 seconds A referee can grant time outs to either a player or the coach Two free throws and possession of the ball for a clear path to the basket foul Previously only one free throw was awarded as well as possession In 2012 the WNBA added the block charge arc under the basket As of 2013 the defensive three second rule and anti flopping guidelines were introduced The three point line was also extended in 2017 that line extended into the corners to match the NBA s Since 2017 Tissot is the official timekeeper for the league as it uses a unified game clock shot clock system Court dimensions Edit WNBA Court DimensionsArea Imperial MetricLength of court baseline to baseline 94 ft 28 65 mWidth of court sideline to sideline 50 ft 15 24 mRim height floor to rim 10 ft 3 05 mCenter circle diameter 12 ft 3 66 mThree point line distance from center of basket 22 ft 1 75 in 6 75 m3 point line distance from center of basket corners 22 ft 6 71 mShaded area Lane Key length 19 ft 5 8 mShaded area Lane Key width 16 ft 4 88 mRestricted area aka block charge arc distance from center of basket 4 ft 1 22 mFree throw line distance from backboard 15 ft 4 57 mFree throw half circle radius 6 ft 1 83 mBackboard width side to side 6 ft 1 83 mCoaching box width from baseline 28 ft 8 54 m All dimensions are in line with NBA regulations except the main three point arc The three point distance at the corners is identical in the NBA and WNBA Business EditFinance Edit During the mid 2000s the NBA spent more than 10 million per year to keep the WNBA financially solvent 72 In 2007 teams were estimated to be losing 1 5 million to 2 million a year 73 Due to the lack of viewership the WNBA has not been profitable in past years The league projected losses through the 2010 season to be around 400 million 74 The league has begun to do better financially in recent years In December 2010 Donna Orender said that the league had its first ever cash flow positive team during the 2010 season 75 In 2011 three teams were profitable and in 2013 six of the league s 12 teams reported a profit 76 The league has also signed extended television contracts with ESPN and sponsorship agreements with Boost Mobile Activism Edit Main article WNBA Social Justice Council The New York Times in 2020 called the WNBA the most socially progressive pro league 77 As the popularity of the league has grown players have gained more voice and power to perform as activists in many fields One of the activist players main focuses is the inequality between men s and women s sports Many players such as Brittney Griner Breanna Stewart and Maya Moore have spoken about equality between gender sexual orientation and race 78 The players have also supported progressive social and political movements such as Black Lives Matter and others 79 Shortly after the George Floyd protests began the league and union decided in 2020 to put Black Lives Matter and Say Her Name slogans on warmup gear and opening weekend uniforms 80 When team owner Senator Kelly Loeffler criticized the league s support for Black Lives Matter her team wore black T shirts with the slogan VOTE WARNOCK endorsing her election opponent Raphael Warnock an African American pastor who defeated Loeffler 80 In 2021 during the COVID 19 pandemic the WNBA led American professional sports teams in promoting the COVID 19 vaccine 81 Teams hosted vaccine clinics in their home arenas 81 In April the league and union s Social Justice Council made a PSA Our Health is Worth a Shot that aired during the WNBA draft 81 82 In June 2021 the WNBA announced that 99 of its players had been fully vaccinated 83 Sponsorships Edit On June 1 2009 the Phoenix Mercury was the first team in WNBA history to announce a marquee sponsorship The team secured a partnership with LifeLock to brand their jerseys and warm ups 84 It was the first branded jersey in WNBA history Following the expiration of the LifeLock deal the Mercury secured a new uniform sponsorship deal with Casino Arizona and Talking Stick Resort on February 3 2014 85 Other teams eventually followed in the Mercury s footsteps some teams feature sponsors prominently on the front of their jerseys while others have sponsors on the upper left hand shoulder citation needed On August 22 2011 the WNBA announced a league wide marquee sponsorship with Boost Mobile 86 The deal would allow the Boost Mobile logo to be placed on eleven of the 12 teams jerseys excluding San Antonio in addition to branding on the courts and in arenas A source said the deal is a multiyear eight figure deal 87 In 2009 the Phoenix Mercury became the first American professional basketball team to feature advertisements on their uniform when they sold an ad to LifeLock Insurance on the front of their jerseys leading many people to wonder if ads on NBA uniforms were coming soon Since then several other WNBA teams have followed suit The NBA announced in the summer of 2016 that they will begin to feature advertisements on jerseys with the first team to do so being the Philadelphia 76ers with a StubHub sticker now on their jerseys Before the start of the 2011 season every team announced a new look for their uniforms The supplier of the uniforms for the league Adidas upgraded all teams to new high tech designs much like they did for the NBA before the start of their season On April 8 2019 the WNBA announced a multiyear marquee partnership with AT amp T making them the first non apparel partner to have its logo featured on the front of all 12 team jerseys The jerseys officially debuted during the 2019 WNBA draft 88 Salaries rosters and collective bargaining Edit Before the 2009 season the maximum team roster size was changed from 13 players 11 active and 2 inactive to 11 players all active Any team that falls below nine players able to play due to injury or any other factor outside of the control of the team will upon request be granted a roster hardship exception allowing the team to sign an additional player or players so that the team will have nine players able to play in an upcoming game or games As soon as the injured or otherwise sidelined player s can play the roster hardship player s not any other player on the roster must be waived In March 2014 the WNBA and players signed a new eight year collective bargaining agreement increasing the number of players on a roster to 12 89 The WNBA Draft is held annually every spring The minimum age is 22 years for American players and 20 years for international players measured as of December 31 of the calendar year of the draft For draft purposes American includes those born in the U S as well as those who have enrolled in a U S college or university regardless of their citizenship The draft is three rounds long with each of the 12 teams in the league trades aside getting three picks each The draft order for the eight teams that made the playoffs the previous year are based on team records and the team with the highest previous record will pick last For the remaining top four picks a selection process similar to the NBA Draft Lottery is conducted for the four teams that did not qualify for the playoffs Previously in 2008 a new six year collective bargaining agreement was agreed upon between the players and the league The salary cap for an entire team in 2010 was 827 000 although it was later lowered to 775 000 By 2013 the sixth year under this agreement the cap for an entire team was 900 000 In 2010 the minimum salary for a player with three plus years of experience was 51 000 while the maximum salary for a six plus year player was 101 500 the first time in league history that players can receive over 100 000 The minimum salary for rookies was 35 190 90 91 Many WNBA players supplement their salaries by playing in European Australian or more recently Chinese women s basketball leagues during the WNBA offseason The WNBA has been criticized for paying female players less than their NBA counterparts although this is attributed to the much greater revenues of the NBA 92 The decision of superstar Diana Taurasi to sit out the 2015 WNBA season was seen by some in the media as a harbinger of salary related troubles in the future The Russian club for which she was playing at the time UMMC Ekaterinburg offered her a bonus well over the league s maximum player salary to sit out that season Taurasi accepted largely because she had not had an offseason since playing college basketball more than a decade earlier Such offers have often been made to star American players including Taurasi herself but none were accepted until Taurasi did so in 2015 93 A more recent incident that led to widespread media comment on the WNBA s salary structure was the torn Achilles suffered by reigning WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart while playing for another Russian side Dynamo Kursk in the 2019 EuroLeague Women final The injury came at a time when the WNBA and its players union were preparing to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement 94 following the union s announcement in November 2018 that it would opt out of the current CBA after the 2019 season With overseas leagues offering much higher salaries to many players than the WNBA currently provides roughly 70 of the league s players go overseas in any given season While these players do not necessarily play as many games as NBA players do in their seasons even participants in the NBA Finals get several months of rest in the offseason something not available for WNBA players who also play overseas 95 96 97 In a story on the ramifications of Stewart s injury M A Voepel of ESPN had this to say about the lead in to the injury 97 For Stewart her 2018 went like this playing in China brief time off WNBA season World Cup in the Canary Islands brief time off playing in Russia She hasn t had significant recovery time since before her senior season at UConn Now she ll have time away from playing but while going through rehab and physical therapy The current CBA which took effect in 2020 significantly increased minimum and maximum salaries The minimum league salary in 2020 was 57 000 for players with less than three years of experience and 68 000 otherwise For most players the 2020 maximum salary was 185 000 players who met specified criteria for league service had a maximum of 215 000 98 WNBA players are awarded bonuses for certain achievements Some of the bonuses given by the league amount is per player from 2020 to 2027 the duration of the current CBA WNBA champion 11 356 Runner up 5 678 Most Valuable Player 15 450 All WNBA First Team member 10 300 and All Star Game participant 2 575 99 These were only modest increases from amounts provided before 2020 100 In recent years the lack of roster space for rookies thus hampering their professional development has become a major issue While the 2020 CBA led to maximum player salaries nearly doubling from 2019 to 2022 the team cap only increased by slightly less than 40 in that period Because the cap is a hard cap many WNBA teams now carry only 11 players on their rosters instead of the maximum 12 leading Stewart to state We re at a tipping point without some easy tweaks we are no longer a league that has 12 teams and 144 players it s more like 133 The WNBA also has no developmental league similar to the NBA G League Chiney Ogwumike a vice president of the players union publicly called for such a league While roster limits have always been a significant issue in the league between the first WNBA draft in 1997 and 2021 more than 40 of drafted players never made a roster this became especially apparent at the dawn of the 2020s In one notable example the 2019 Naismith Trophy winner Megan Gustafson did not make an opening day roster in 2019 and had only played in parts of the 2019 2021 seasons before being cut in the 2022 preseason This issue gained major publicity during the week before the start of the 2022 season The Minnesota Lynx which began that week with barely over 12 000 of cap room cut six players including the 2020 Rookie of the Year Crystal Dangerfield their 2021 first round pick Rennia Davis and both of their 2022 draft picks The Seattle Storm whose first 2022 draft pick was in the middle of the second round waived that pick Elissa Cunane and the Las Vegas Aces waived both of their picks one of them a first rounder 101 102 Another clause in the 2020 CBA known as the prioritization clause has been viewed as a potential problem for the league Because of overseas league commitments a significant number of WNBA players have reported late to training camp each season Several overseas leagues and continental club competitions overlap with WNBA training camps and even with the start of the WNBA season For example 55 WNBA players missed the start of training camp in 2021 meaning that most teams were unable to start practice with their full rosters 103 Starting in 2023 teams will be required to fine players with more than two years of WNBA experience who miss the start of training camp Exemptions are provided for national team commitments graduations and other significant life events Starting in 2024 the league can penalize a veteran player who does not report to camp with a season long suspension without pay 104 In a 2021 episode of a podcast hosted by Napheesa Collier and A ja Wilson Collier raised the prospect of players choosing to abandon the WNBA for higher overseas salaries telling Wilson If I m not making that much in the league if it s not enough for me to survive on during the year I m going overseas and having the summer off 103 When Stewart re signed with the Seattle Storm as a free agent before the 2022 season she cited the prioritization clause as the reason she only signed a one year contract 104 Merchandise Edit The following shows the top jersey sales during the 2021 regular season based on sales through the WNBA s official online store 105 However a story by NBC Sports journalist Alex Azzi argued that the WNBA s merchandise rankings were misleading for multiple reasons 106 At any given time the WNBA has at most 144 players but at the time of the story ready to ship replica team jerseys were available for fewer than 20 of them Many of the league s top players in the 2021 season were not among those with ready to ship jerseys The only such jersey available for Jonquel Jones who would be named league MVP shortly after the story ran was a replica of the jersey she wore in that season s All Star Game and not her Connecticut Sun jersey The league s leading scorer that season Tina Charles had no ready made jersey available for sale Also not all of the ready made jerseys were available in youth sizes All other player replica jerseys must be custom ordered which take longer to ship cost more and are only available in adult sizes The only Minnesota Lynx player with a ready made jersey Maya Moore had not played in the league since 2018 and would formally announce her retirement in 2023 Some teams among them the Lynx offer a larger variety of ready made replica jerseys in their online team stores Also Dick s Sporting Goods which had entered into a multi year marketing agreement with the league shortly before the story ran has a wider availability of such jerseys than the WNBA online store However the league s official merchandise rankings do not include sales through any outlets other than its online store While over 80 of WNBA players are black the top three on this list as well as four of the top five are white A study by two researchers at the University of Massachusetts published earlier in 2021 concluded that after controlling for points and rebounds white players individually averaged twice as much media mentions as black players during the 2020 season 107 This discrepancy was specifically called out by white UConn superstar Paige Bueckers during her acceptance speech at the 2021 ESPY Awards and Azzi argued that it contributed to the perceived racial bias in the WNBA merchandise rankings Jersey SalesRank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10Player Sabrina Ionescu Sue Bird Diana Taurasi A ja Wilson Breanna Stewart Candace Parker Skylar Diggins Smith Elena Delle Donne Maya Moore Liz CambageTeam Liberty Storm Mercury Aces Storm Sky Mercury Mystics Lynx AcesThe following shows the top teams in merchandise sales during the 2021 regular season 105 Team SalesRank 1 2 3 4 5Team Seattle Storm New York Liberty Las Vegas Aces Phoenix Mercury Chicago SkyWNBA Presidents Commissioners Edit The title of the league s chief executive was President before Cathy Engelbert became the first Commissioner Val Ackerman 1996 2005 Donna Orender 2005 2010 Chris Granger 2011 interim Laurel J Richie 2011 2015 Lisa Borders 2015 2018 108 Mark Tatum 2018 2019 interim Cathy Engelbert 2019 present 109 Attendance EditIn 2012 the average attendance per game dropped from 7 955 to 7 457 6 3 Attendance per game stayed consistent at around 7 520 per game In 2015 the WNBA s attendance per game decreased by 3 4 percent to 7 318 This was a record low for the WNBA since it was created in 1997 Many teams have experienced drops in their attendance San Antonio Stars 37 4 Washington Mystics 7 9 Tulsa Shock 7 2 110 these losses have caused the attendance of the WNBA to drop President Laurel Richie stated that after the 2015 season ends they will create an expansion committee and begin evaluating if and how the WNBA should go about expanding their reach The 2018 and 2019 seasons each set the lowest average attendance in WNBA history 6 769 and 6 535 However about half of the decline in attendance from 2017 to 2018 was due to the New York Liberty moving from 19 812 seat Madison Square Garden to the 5 000 seat Westchester County Center While the Liberty had averaged over 9 000 fans in 2017 James Dolan then the team s owner noted that roughly half of the team s attendance in that season came from complimentary tickets 111 Similarly in 2019 the Washington Mystics moved from the 20 356 seat Capital One Arena to the 4 111 seat Entertainment and Sports Arena The Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty each saw double digit percentage losses in 2019 but half of the league s teams saw attendance increases in that season and the number of sellouts was the same in both seasons 41 112 Attendance1990sYear Team LeagueCHA CLE DET HOU LA MIN NY ORL PHX SAC UTA WAS Regular season Post season1997 8 307 7 971 9 814 8 937 13 270 13 703 7 858 7 611 9 684 14 8491998 8 561 10 350 10 229 12 602 7 653 14 935 13 764 6 578 8 104 15 910 10 869 11 9641999 7 080 9 350 8 485 11 906 7 625 10 494 14 047 9 801 12 219 8 626 7 544 15 306 10 207 12 647 2000sYear Team LeagueATL CHA CHI CLE CON DET HOU IND LA MIA MIN NY ORL PHX POR SAC SA SEA UTA WAS Regular season Post season2000 5 685 8 596 6 716 12 255 12 267 6 563 7 983 7 290 14 498 7 363 10 130 8 317 7 928 8 912 6 420 15 258 9 074 12 2222001 6 595 9 211 6 834 11 320 8 683 9 278 a 8 840 7 538 15 671 7 430 8 558 8 604 8 350 5 954 6 907 15 417 9 074 11 4302002 6 667 9 318 5 686 10 866 8 434 11 651 8 828 7 819 14 670 7 115 8 737 8 041 9 011 6 989 7 420 16 202 9 228 11 5372003 7 062 7 400 6 023 7 862 8 835 b 8 340 9 290 7 074 12 123 8 501 9 125 10 384 7 109 14 042 8 800 9 2052004 6 846 6 707 9 462 8 086 7 588 10 428 7 359 9 886 c 8 017 8 679 8 395 7 899 12 615 8 613 9 4902005 5 768 7 173 9 374 7 099 8 382 8 854 6 673 10 140 7 303 8 542 7 944 8 891 10 088 8 172 8 3972006 5 941 3 390 7 417 9 380 7 682 7 222 8 311 6 442 9 120 7 459 8 691 7 397 8 568 7 839 7 490 8 3972007 3 915 7 970 9 749 8 166 7 032 8 695 7 119 8 698 7 737 8 387 7 569 7 974 7 788 7 819 10 3122008 8 316 3 656 7 644 9 569 6 585 d 7 702 9 508 6 968 9 045 8 522 8 180 7 984 8 265 9 096 7 948 8 4202009 7 102 3 932 6 794 8 004 7 939 10 387 7 537 9 800 8 523 7 744 7 527 7 874 11 338 8 039 9 979 LA moved from The Forum to Staples Center prior to the 2001 season HOU moved from Compaq Center to Toyota Center prior to the 2003 season NY played six games at Radio City Music Hall in 2004 HOU moved from Toyota Center to Reliant Arena prior to the 2008 season 2010sYear Team LeagueATL CHI CON DAL IND LA LV MIN NY PHX SA SEA TUL WAS Regular season Post season2010 6 293 4 293 a 7 486 8 265 9 468 7 622 11 069 8 982 8 041 8 322 4 812 9 357 7 834 10 8222011 6 487 5 536 7 056 8 054 10 316 8 447 7 702 b 9 167 8 751 8 659 4 828 10 449 7 954 9 2322012 5 453 5 573 7 266 7 582 10 089 9 683 6 779 b 7 814 7 850 7 486 5 203 8 639 7 452 9 1952013 5 853 6 601 6 548 8 164 9 869 9 381 7 189 b 8 557 7 914 6 981 5 474 7 838 7 531 7 5742014 5 864 6 685 5 980 7 900 8 288 9 333 8 949 9 557 7 719 6 717 5 566 8 377 7 578 113 8 2002015 114 6 122 6 894 5 557 7 485 9 065 9 364 9 159 9 946 4 831 c 6 516 5 167 7 714 7 318 115 8 7992016 5 614 7 009 5 837 5 298 8 575 9 638 9 266 9 724 10 351 6 385 7 230 6 929 7 655 116 8 7192017 4 452 d 6 583 e 6 728 3 872 7 538 11 350 10 407 9 989 9 913 6 386 7 704 7 771 7 716 117 2018 4 194 d 6 358 6 569 4 752 6 311 10 642 5 307 10 036 2 823 f 9 950 8 109 6 136 6 769 2019 112 4 270 g 6 835 6 841 4 999 5 887 11 307 4 669 h 9 069 2 239 i 10 193 7 562 j 4 546 k 6 535 CHI moved from UIC Pavilion to Allstate Arena prior to the 2010 season a b c NY moved temporarily from Madison Square Garden to Prudential Center from 2011 through 2013 SA moved temporarily from AT amp T Center to Freeman Coliseum for the 2015 season a b ATL moved temporarily from Philips Arena now known as State Farm Arena to McCamish Pavilion for the 2017 and 2018 seasons CHI moved from Allstate Arena to Wintrust Arena prior to the 2018 season NY moved to Westchester County Center prior to the 2018 season with Madison Square Garden as an alternate home ATL returned to State Farm Arena for one season LV played one game at T Mobile Arena NY played one game at the Barclays Center SEA moved temporarily from Climate Pledge Arena to Alaska Airlines Arena and Angel of the Winds Arena for at least the 2019 season WAS moved from Capital One Arena to St Elizabeths East Entertainment and Sports Arena prior to the 2019 season Played one game at Capital One 2020sYear Team LeagueATL CHI CON DAL IND LA LV MIN NY PHX SEA WAS Regular season Post season2020 Due to the COVID 19 pandemic the season was played in Bradenton Florida without fans 118 119 2021 1 347 3 187 2 992 2 101 1 221 2 943 2 696 1 874 5 849 2 607 2 183 2 636 7 4002022 2 572 7 180 5 712 3 788 1 776 5 653 5 607 7 444 5 327 7 974 10 632 3 983 5 679Media coverage EditMain articles WNBA on ESPN WNBA on Lifetime WNBA on Oxygen and NBA on NBC WNBA on NBC Currently WNBA games are televised throughout the U S by ABC ESPN ESPN2 Twitter NBATV CBS and CBS Sports Network In the early years two women s oriented networks Lifetime and Oxygen also broadcast games including the first game of the WNBA NBC showed games from 1997 to 2002 as part of their NBA on NBC coverage before the league transferred the rights to ABC ESPN In 2007 the WNBA and ESPN came to an 8 year television agreement The agreement would be the first to pay television rights fees to the league s teams Never before had an agreement promised rights fees to a women s professional league The agreement ran from 2009 to 2016 and was worth millions of dollars 120 In June 2007 the WNBA signed a contract extension with ESPN The new television deal runs from 2009 to 2016 A minimum of 18 games will be broadcast on ABC ESPN and ESPN2 each season the rights to broadcast the first regular season game and the All Star game are held by ABC Additionally a minimum of 11 postseason games will be broadcast on any of the three stations 121 Along with this deal came the first ever rights fees to be paid to a women s professional sports league Over the eight years of the contract millions and millions of dollars will be dispersed to the league s teams 120 In 2013 the WNBA and ESPN signed a six year extension on the broadcast deal to cover 2017 2022 In the new deal a total of 30 games would be shown each season on ESPN networks Each team would receive around 1 million per year 122 On April 22 2019 CBS Sports Network reached a multi year deal to televise 40 regular season weekend and primetime WNBA games beginning in the 2019 season 123 124 In 2023 Ion Television signed a deal with the WNBA to air 15 Friday night games branded as WNBA Friday Night Spotlight on ION It will be the first national sports program to air on Ion since 2011 125 Some teams offer games on local radio while all teams have some games broadcast on local television stations Atlanta Bally Sports SouthBally Sports Southeast Chicago WCIU TV WMEU CD Marquee Sports Network Connecticut NESN WCCT TV Dallas Bally Sports Southwest Indiana Bally Sports Indiana WNDY Las Vegas KVVU Los Angeles Spectrum SportsNet Minnesota Bally Sports North New York YES Phoenix Bally Sports Arizona Seattle KZJO Washington Monumental Sports Network NBC Sports Washington From 2010 to 2011 the regular season broadcast drew 270 000 viewers a growth of 5 percent from 2010 s numbers 126 As sponsorships continued to grow with deals from ESPN to air WNBA games on ESPN and ESPN 2 The league did experience some success on the digital forefront It saw increases on its mobile page views by 26 percent along with a major increase in its social media space Instagram grew by 51 percent this past year WNBA League Pass Edit In 2009 the WNBA announced the launch of WNBA LiveAccess a feature on WNBA com that provides fans with access to more than 200 live game webcasts throughout the WNBA season All of the WNBA LiveAccess games are then archived for on demand viewing Most games except broadcasts on ABC ESPN or ESPN2 which are available on ESPN3 are available via this system The first use of LiveAccess was the E League versus Chicago Sky preseason game 127 Before the 2011 season LiveAccess was given an overhaul and the system became more reliable and many new features were added Before the 2012 season it was announced that users of LiveAccess would have to pay a 4 99 subscription fee to use the service In 2013 this was increased to 14 99 In 2014 the streaming service was renamed WNBA League Pass WNBA League Pass is available as part of the WNBA App the free mobile application available on the iPhone iPad and Android devices and costs US 16 99 for the season Games airing on ESPN ESPN2 and CBS Sports Network as well as other games taking place during the telecast windows of ESPN and ESPN2 games are not available live on WNBA League Pass However those games will be available on demand shortly after the conclusion of their live broadcast 128 Viewership Edit Year Season Telecasts on ESPN ESPN2 ABC CBS Average viewership over previous2005 Regular Unknown 282 000 2006 Regular 14 242 000 2007 Regular 16 221 000 2008 Regular 13 248 000 Playoffs 12 282 000 2009 Regular 12 269 000 Playoffs 13 435 000 2010 Regular 18 258 000 Playoffs 7 370 000 2011 Regular 11 270 000 Playoffs 15 Unknown2012 Regular 10 180 000 Playoffs 19 301 000 2013 Regular 13 231 000 129 Playoffs 17 344 000 130 2014 Regular 19 240 000 131 Playoffs 10 489 000 132 2015 Regular 11 includes 1 on ESPN 202 000 114 Playoffs Unknown Unknown2016 Regular Unknown 224 000 133 Playoffs Unknown Unknown2017 Regular Unknown 171 000 134 2018 Regular 231 000 135 Playoffs 319 000 135 2019 Regular 246 000 136 Playoffs 257 000 137 Playoffs Unknown UnknownOn the 2008 season opening day May 17 ABC broadcast the Los Angeles Sparks and Phoenix Mercury matchup to showcase new rookie sensation Candace Parker The game received a little over 1 million viewers Ratings still remain poor in comparison to NBA games In 2008 WNBA games averaged just 413 000 viewers compared to 1 46 million viewers on ESPN and over 2 2 million on ABC for NBA games 138 In addition WNBA games have much poorer visibility attendance and ratings than NCAA games 139 However ESPN viewership grew 35 in 2018 over 2017 140 This became the impetus for the multi year partnership in which CBS Sports Network would broadcast live WNBA games beginning with the 2019 season 141 All time franchise history through 2017 EditTeam Years AttendanceAvg W L PCT Playoffs Playoffs W Playoffs L Playoffs PCT TitlesAtlanta Dream 2008 present 6 455 160 180 471 7 15 18 455 0Charlotte Sting 1997 2006 6 851 143 179 444 6 6 13 316 0Chicago Sky 2006 present 5 054 179 229 439 4 7 12 368 1Cleveland Rockers 1997 2003 8 885 108 112 491 4 6 9 400 0Connecticut Sun total 1 1999 present 7 132 339 299 531 10 21 21 500 0Connecticut Sun 2003 present 6 887 279 231 547 9 20 19 513 0Dallas Wings total 2 1998 present 7 382 296 372 443 10 30 22 577 3Dallas Wings 2016 present 27 41 397 1 0 1 000 0Detroit Shock 1998 2009 8 463 210 186 530 7 30 19 612 3Houston Comets 1997 2008 9 592 241 149 618 9 20 14 588 4Indiana Fever 2000 present 8 138 310 296 512 13 35 33 515 1Las Vegas Aces total 3 1997 present 7 692 291 405 418 9 10 23 303 0Las Vegas Aces 2018 present 0 0 0 0 0 0Los Angeles Sparks 1997 present 9 080 424 272 609 17 45 38 542 3Miami Sol 2000 2002 8 556 48 48 500 1 1 2 333 0Minnesota Lynx 1999 present 8 008 347 291 544 9 41 19 683 4New York Liberty 1997 present 10 873 371 325 533 15 27 36 429 0Orlando Miracle 1999 2002 7 927 60 68 469 1 1 2 333 0Phoenix Mercury 1997 present 9 307 358 338 514 12 36 29 554 3Portland Fire 2000 2002 8 321 37 59 385 0 0 0 000 0Sacramento Monarchs 1997 2009 8 287 224 200 527 9 24 19 558 1San Antonio Stars 2003 2017 7 857 204 306 400 7 8 18 308 0Seattle Storm 2000 present 7 697 303 303 500 13 19 22 463 4Tulsa Shock 2010 2015 5 173 59 145 289 1 0 2 000 0Utah Starzz 1997 2002 7 334 87 99 468 2 2 5 286 0Washington Mystics 1998 present 11 288 273 395 409 10 8 21 276 11 The Connecticut Sun was known as the Orlando Miracle from 1999 2002 2 The Dallas Wings were known as the Tulsa Shock from 2010 2015 and the Detroit Shock from 1998 2009 3 The Las Vegas Aces were known as the Utah Starzz from 1997 2002 the San Antonio Silver Stars from 2003 2013 and the San Antonio Stars from 2014 2017 See also Edit Basketball portalBest WNBA Player ESPY Award List of Australian WNBA players List of current WNBA broadcasters List of foreign WNBA players List of WNBA Finals broadcasters List of WNBA career scoring leaders List of WNBA first overall draft choices List of WNBA head coaches List of WNBA players List of WNBA seasons Prominent women s sports leagues in the United States and Canada Professional sports leagues in the United States Timeline of women s basketballReferences EditCitations Edit History WNBA com WNBA com Retrieved June 18 2016 Lisa Leslie Sheryl Swoopes Rebecca Lobo Reunited at WNBA Draft WNBA com Official Site of the WNBA Retrieved June 18 2016 a b WNBA com History of the WNBA www wnba com Retrieved June 18 2016 Voepel Stern changed women s basketball ESPN com January 31 2014 Retrieved June 18 2016 Penny Toler recalls landmark WNBA basket ESPN Video ESPN com Retrieved June 18 2016 WNBA com WNBA History Timeline www wnba com Retrieved June 18 2016 Twenty years later a look back at WNBA s first game ESPN com Retrieved June 18 2016 Detroit Washington join WNBA lineup chronicle augusta com chronicle augusta com Associated Press Retrieved June 18 2016 WNBA expands to Orlando Minnesota chronicle augusta com chronicle augusta com Associated Press Retrieved June 18 2016 Bowman James February 8 2014 A history of the WNBA collective bargaining agreement Swish Appeal Retrieved June 18 2016 Bowman James February 8 2014 The history of the collective bargaining agreement Swish Appeal Retrieved July 1 2022 WNBA EXPANDS BY FOUR ARE MORE CITIES ON THE HORIZON Sports Business Daily June 8 1999 Sandomir Richard April 16 2003 W N B A Going on 7 Has Grown Up Labor Dispute The New York Times Retrieved May 13 2011 WNBA official 2006 rule changes WNBA com WNBA History Timeline www wnba com Retrieved November 8 2018 DREAM Atlanta s WNBA Team Named Atlanta Dream Robbins Liz July 20 2008 Liberty Has Its Moment in History if Not a Victory The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved December 22 2019 The First Regular Season Outdoor Game in Professional Basketball History Retrieved September 15 2016 Comets To Cease Operations from ESPN com Shock makes move official ESPN October 20 2009 Retrieved July 25 2010 Hurley Michael July 1 2011 NBA com gets new lockout makeover NESN com Retrieved July 17 2011 Abontorab99 September 13 2011 WNBA Attendance WNBA Retrieved September 13 2011 With rebound WNBA solidifies spot at ESPN No the WNBA is Not a Major Sport And That s Fine Sports Media Watch February 8 2014 WNBA Approves Relocation of Shock from Tulsa to Dallas Fort Worth Press release WNBA July 23 2015 Mark Davis agrees to purchase Las Vegas Aces WNBA team KTNV January 14 2021 Retrieved January 14 2021 WNBA And WNBPA Reach Tentative Agreement On Groundbreaking Eight Year Collective Bargaining Agreement Press release WNBA January 14 2020 Retrieved January 29 2020 Voepel Mechelle January 14 2020 What the new CBA means to the WNBA and its players ESPN com Retrieved January 29 2020 WNBA expands to 36 game schedule adds Commissioner s Cup ESPN com Associated Press January 16 2020 Retrieved January 29 2020 WNBA Statement Regarding the Start of the 2020 Regular Season Valenzuela Sarah WNBA season to play out in Florida at IMG Academy nydailynews com Retrieved August 1 2020 WNBA unveils new logo for Count It campaign ESPN com March 15 2021 Retrieved March 15 2021 WNBA Continues Celebration Of Landmark 25th Season Names Greatest Players In League History The W25 Press release WNBA September 5 2021 Retrieved October 18 2021 WNBA Announces Innovative Blueprint New Partnerships and Significant Prize Pool for Inaugural Commissioner s Cup Press release WNBA May 12 2021 Retrieved May 15 2021 Las Vegas Welcomes Franchise Legend Becky Hammon Back To The Family As Team s Head Coach Las Vegas Aces Retrieved January 1 2022 Voepel Mechelle November 15 2017 Jim Dolan parting ways with New York Liberty was only a matter of time ESPN com Retrieved November 24 2017 MSG to Operate Liberty While Continuing to Pursue Sale Westchester County Center to Serve as Team s Primary Home for 2018 New York Liberty February 8 2018 Nets minority owner Joseph Tsai buys WNBA s Liberty ESPN com Associated Press January 25 2019 Retrieved January 25 2019 NBA Board of Governors approves sale of Nets to Joe Tsai Press release National Basketball Association September 18 2019 Retrieved September 28 2019 WNBA Announces Relocation of San Antonio Stars to Las Vegas Press release WNBA October 17 2017 Retrieved November 24 2017 a b WNBA Approves New Playoff Format Press release WNBA November 18 2021 Retrieved November 19 2021 Google Named New WNBA Changemaker and Presenting Partner of the WNBA on ESPN as Part of Multiyear Agreement Press release WNBA May 3 2021 Retrieved November 19 2021 WNBA Career Leaders and Records for Points Per Game Basketball Reference com Retrieved September 16 2022 Cynthia Cooper WNBA Stats Basketball Reference com Retrieved September 16 2022 WNBA Career Leaders and Records for Assists Basketball Reference com Retrieved September 16 2022 Sue Bird WNBA Stats Basketball Reference com Retrieved September 16 2022 WNBA Career Leaders and Records for Assists Per Game Basketball Reference com Retrieved September 16 2022 WNBA Single Season Leaders and Records for Assists Per Game Basketball Reference com Retrieved September 16 2022 Delle Donne first in WNBA to join 50 40 90 club ESPN com September 8 2019 Retrieved September 9 2019 News Archive Detroit s Plenette Pierson Named 2007 WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year WNBA WNBA Cares Community Assist Past Winners WNBA Retrieved November 20 2021 WNBA Announces New Process for Selecting All WNBA Teams and Unveils End of Season Awards Schedule Press release WNBA August 5 2022 Retrieved August 7 2022 Chicago Sky s James Wade Named 2022 WNBA Basketball Executive Of The Year Press release WNBA August 22 2022 Retrieved August 23 2022 Sparks to retire Lisa Leslie s jersey on ESPN 9 Aug 2010 LA Sparks to retire Lisa Leslie s jersey The San Diego Union Tribune 9 Aug 2010 Sparks Retire Toler s Jersey on WNBA com INDIANA FEVER TO RETIRE CATCHINGS NO 24 JERSEY on Tennessee Athletics website 26 Jun 2017 Stars Retire Becky Hammon s Jersey WNBA June 27 2016 Retrieved June 28 2016 Aces To Honor Becky Hammon By Raising Her No 25 To The Rafters Monday September 13 Press release Las Vegas Aces September 10 2021 Retrieved January 1 2022 Lynx to honor Whalen with first retired number ESPN com Associated Press April 18 2019 Retrieved April 18 2019 Schad Chris Lynx retire Rebekkah Brunson s jersey crush Aces si com SI Retrieved December 14 2022 Gonzalez Isabel Minnesota Lynx retire four time WNBA champion Seimone Augustus No 33 jersey CBS Sports Retrieved December 14 2022 Mercury to retired 7 on WNBA com Michelle Timms on Sports Australia HoF Phoenix Mercury retires Penny Taylor s jersey as Australian greats pay tribute by Roy Ward on The Sydney Morning Herald 10 July 2017 Storm retire jersey finally able to give Lauren Jackson send off she deserved by Kevin Pelton on ESPN 18 Jul 2016 Seattle Storm retire Aussie Lauren Jackson s No 15 jersey USA Today 16 Jul 2016 Storm to retire Sue Bird s 10 Jersey on June 11 Press release Seattle Storm January 19 2023 Retrieved January 21 2023 WNBA Announces Rule Changes for 2006 WNBA com December 6 2005 Retrieved June 13 2011 WNBA Announces Rule Changes for 2007 Season WNBA com January 30 2007 Retrieved June 13 2011 WNBA Fails to Thrill Fans The Hoya October 15 2012 Retrieved April 15 2013 Lieber Steeg Jill June 12 2007 New owners stake claim in overhauling WNBA USA Today Retrieved June 13 2011 Beloff Beth Chevallier Arnaud eds September 10 2012 The Case and Practice for Sustainability in Business Sustainability Multi Disciplinary Perspectives BENTHAM SCIENCE PUBLISHERS pp 310 339 doi 10 2174 978160805103811201010310 ISBN 978 1 60805 103 8 Rohlin Melissa December 3 2010 Donna Orender David Stern on WNBA Los Angeles Times Retrieved November 7 2015 Paulsen February 28 2014 No the WNBA is Not a Major Sport And That s Fine Sports Media Watch Retrieved November 7 2015 Abrams Jonathan Weiner Natalie October 16 2020 How the Most Socially Progressive Pro League Got That Way The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved July 5 2021 Hoops Happening Today in women s basketball Tamryn Spruill May 1 2018 Retrieved September 15 2018 Shoichet Catherine E Martin Jill July 12 2016 Off duty cops walkout over WNBA players Black Lives Matter shirts CNN Retrieved December 29 2018 a b Atlanta Dream Co Owned By Former Sen Kelly Loeffler Is Close To Being Sold a b c Negley Cassandra June 28 2021 WNBA keeps leading the way announcing 99 of players fully vaccinated sports yahoo com Retrieved June 29 2021 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint url status link Thornton Cedric April 16 2021 WNBA Launches Public Service Announcement Supporting Health of Black Women and Girls 25 000 Donation PSA and Joint Community Donation Included Black Enterprise Retrieved June 29 2021 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint url status link Brito Christopher June 28 2021 WNBA says 99 of its players are fully vaccinated against COVID 19 www cbsnews com Retrieved June 28 2021 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint url status link Mercury LifeLock Break New Ground with Partnership WNBA com June 1 2009 Retrieved June 13 2011 Phoenix Mercury Announces Marquee Partnership with Casino Arizona and Talking Stick Resort WNBA com February 3 2014 Retrieved May 16 2014 Boost Mobile and WNBA Form First Ever Leaguewide Marquee Sponsorship WNBA com August 22 2011 Retrieved August 22 2011 WNBA lands Boost Mobile as top sponsor Sports Business Journal August 22 2011 Retrieved August 22 2011 AT amp T and WNBA Announce Landmark Marquee Partnership WNBA com April 8 2019 Retrieved May 23 2019 WNBA players union agree to 8 year CBA March 7 2014 Women s basketball salary Archived from the original on August 1 2013 Retrieved March 1 2013 Women s basketball 2008 PDF Archived from the original PDF on August 1 2013 Retrieved March 1 2013 Berri David August 12 2015 Basketball s Gender Wage Gap Is Even Worse Than You Think VICE Sports Archived from the original on April 6 2016 Retrieved April 5 2016 Fagan Kate February 4 2015 Diana Taurasi s decision to sit out should spark WNBA salary changes ESPN com Retrieved September 14 2015 Neal Al July 13 2018 Yes the WNBA Wage Gap is a Real Thing Grandstand Central Retrieved July 1 2019 Stone Larry April 19 2019 Breanna Stewart s Achilles injury underscores need for WNBA to find solution to pay issue The Seattle Times Retrieved April 26 2019 Metcalf Jeff April 14 2019 WNBA star Breanna Stewart to miss season after Achilles injury in EuroLeague championship Arizona Republic Retrieved April 26 2019 a b Voepel Mechelle April 17 2019 Could Breanna Stewart s injury be tipping point in WNBA negotiations ESPN com Retrieved April 26 2019 Article V Sections 7 and 8 Minimum Player Salary Maximum Player Salary PDF Women s National Basketball Association Collective Bargaining Agreement Women s National Basketball Players Association January 14 2020 pp 36 37 Archived PDF from the original on January 28 2020 Retrieved October 15 2020 Article IX Section 2 Merit Bonuses PDF Women s National Basketball Association Collective Bargaining Agreement Women s National Basketball Players Association January 14 2020 pp 87 88 Archived PDF from the original on January 28 2020 Retrieved October 15 2020 womensbasketballonline com Archived from the original on August 1 2013 Retrieved March 1 2013 Blomberg Lila May 4 2022 WNBA players and coaches voice issues with hard salary cap expansion as talented players across league get cut Hartford Courant Retrieved May 5 2022 Negley Cassandra May 3 2022 Sky head coach James Wade points out grim reality as WNBA roster moves begin to cut deep Yahoo Sports Retrieved May 5 2022 a b Hruby Emma June 11 2021 Under New CBA Could WNBA Players Skip Season to Just Play Overseas Just Women s Sports Retrieved August 16 2022 a b Negley Cassandra February 11 2022 What is WNBA prioritization Potentially a huge problem and Breanna Stewart knows it Yahoo Sports Retrieved August 16 2022 a b WNBA s Most Popular Merchandise Press release WNBA September 23 2021 Retrieved September 23 2021 Don t be misled by the WNBA s top 10 jersey list NBC Sports On Her Turf Yahoo Sports September 23 2021 Retrieved October 2 2021 Isard Risa F Melton Dr E Nicole May 24 2021 Make this the season we end discriminatory sports coverage Sports Business Journal Retrieved October 2 2021 WNBA President Lisa Borders Steps Down to Become First Ever President and CEO of Time s Up WNBA October 2 2018 Retrieved December 22 2018 Voepel Mechelle May 15 2019 WNBA tabs CEO Engelbert as 1st commissioner ESPN com Retrieved May 15 2019 With 20th season ahead league sees attendance ratings drop Sports Business Daily Retrieved October 2 2016 WNBA Dip in attendance lowest in league history MSU Reporter January 31 2019 Retrieved January 31 2019 a b Levin Andrew Broughton David September 10 2019 WNBA Turnstile Tracker Attendance Down At End Of Regular Season Sports Business Daily Retrieved October 18 2019 Evans Jayda August 20 2014 WNBA attendance up 1 percent and increased viewership Seattle Times Retrieved November 20 2014 a b Lombardo John September 21 2015 With 20th season ahead league sees attendance ratings drop Street amp Smith s Sports Business Journal Retrieved October 3 2015 The Sports Xchange September 16 2015 2015 WNBA season sees lowest fan attendance in league history Las Vegas Review Journal Retrieved October 3 2015 Favor Sue September 21 2016 WNBA s 20th season sees highest attendance in five years womenshoopsworld com Retrieved September 22 2016 Feinberg Doug September 7 2017 WNBA Scores Highest Attendance In Six Years During Record Breaking Season The Spokesman Review Retrieved January 24 2018 WNBA Announces Plan To Tip Off 2020 Season WNBA June 15 2020 Retrieved June 17 2020 WNBA announces plans for 2020 season to start late July in Florida NBC Sports Washington June 15 2020 Retrieved June 15 2020 a b Evans Jayda July 16 2007 WNBA gets first TV rights fee Seattle Times Retrieved May 13 2011 WNBA agrees to a new TV deal with ESPN ABC ESPN July 15 2007 Lefton Terry ESPN Signs Six Year Extension With WNBA That Is Worth 12M Per Year Sports Business Daily Retrieved May 21 2013 WNBA and CBS Sports Agree To Multi Year Television Partnership New York WNBA April 22 2019 Retrieved April 23 2019 Steinberg Brian April 22 2019 CBS Sports WNBA Strike TV Deal Variety WNBA AND SCRIPPS PARTNER ON MULTI YEAR AGREEMENT FOR FRIDAY NIGHT SPOTLIGHT GAMES ON ION The E W Scripps Company Press release April 20 2023 WNBA attendance TV numbers increase again September 2 2011 Retrieved October 2 2016 WNBA com to Webcast More than 200 Games During 2009 WNBA Season WNBA com May 13 2009 Retrieved June 13 2011 WNBA League Pass Help Glass Alana September 27 2013 WNBA Captures Fans Ends Regular Season With Record Growth Forbes Retrieved January 10 2014 Ourand John Karp Austin November 11 2013 With rebound WNBA solidifies spot at ESPN Sports Business Journal Retrieved November 12 2013 Lombardo John August 18 2014 WNBA expects at least six teams to post profit Sports Business Daily Street amp Smith s Sports Business Daily Global Journal Retrieved August 20 2014 Sundalow Brian September 18 2014 WNBA sees ratings jump in postseason Chicago Sun Times Retrieved November 12 2014 More Ratings Paralympics World Cup of Hockey WNBA on ESPN Sports Media Watch September 23 2016 Karp Austin September 8 2017 Audience Analysis WNBA Regular Season Viewership Hits New Low For ESPN ESPN2 Street amp Smith s Sports Business Daily Retrieved May 7 2018 a b ESPN Tips off WNBA Postseason with First Round Doubleheader Tonight ESPN Press Room U S August 21 2018 Retrieved August 24 2020 Ratings MLB WNBA Soccer Racing Sports Media Watch September 14 2019 Retrieved August 24 2020 More ratings WNBA Racing Hard Knocks and more Sports Media Watch August 20 2020 Retrieved August 24 2020 Zeigler Cyd Jr October 2 2008 WNBA Ratings up but Still Not Good Outsports com Retrieved June 13 2011 Payne Marissa May 6 2015 Former U Conn star Maya Moore laments the current state of the WNBA The Washington Post Retrieved April 5 2016 WNBA Targets Broader National Reach with CBS Sports Deal April 24 2019 WNBA and CBS Sports Agree to Multi Year Television Partnership General references Edit Evans Jayda July 16 2007 WNBA Gets First Rights Fee The Seattle Times Retrieved July 16 2007 Heath Thomas July 12 2006 A Matter of Value The Washington Post Retrieved July 12 2006 Minimum NBA Salary Inside Hoops August 10 2005 Retrieved September 4 2006 Salary Cap for 2004 05 Is 43 87 million National Basketball Association July 13 2004 Retrieved July 13 2004 History of the WNBA Women s National Basketball Association Retrieved September 4 2006 Start of Season Conference Call Women s National Basketball Association May 14 2007 Retrieved May 14 2007 Hoops Happening Today in women s basketball Tamryn Spruill May 1 2018 Retrieved September 15 2018 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Women s National Basketball Association Official website WNBA statistics at Basketball Reference com Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Women 27s National Basketball Association amp oldid 1153857878, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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