The WNBA has been playing for three decades, but many fans discover it only through a single star or a highlight. This guide explains how the league works today and where its history begins. League details change often — new teams, longer seasons — so the numbers below describe the 2026 season.
A league that keeps growing
The WNBA was founded in 1996 and played its first season in 1997 with eight teams. The Houston Comets won the first four championships, a record no team has matched since.
The league has expanded in recent years. The Golden State Valkyries joined in 2025 as the 13th team, and Toronto and Portland followed in 2026, bringing the total to 15. Further teams in Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia are planned by 2030.
The season
WNBA seasons run within a single calendar year, which makes the history pages easy to read: the 2016 season is simply "2016". The regular season runs from May to September, and since 2025 each team plays 44 games.
The playoffs follow the regular season. The WNBA Finals became best-of-seven in 2025; from 2005 to 2024 they were best-of-five, and the league's first title in 1997 was decided in a single game.
How players arrive
Most players enter through the WNBA draft, which has had three rounds since 2003. To be eligible, a U.S. player must be 22 by December 31 of the draft year, have finished her college eligibility or graduated, or be four years out of high school.
That rule is why college basketball matters so much for the WNBA: most rookies arrive after several seasons at programs like UConn, Tennessee or South Carolina. Our guide From college to the WNBA follows that path.
The awards to know
The WNBA names a Most Valuable Player each season and a Finals MVP for the championship series. A'ja Wilson leads the MVP list with five awards (2020, 2022, 2024, 2025 and 2026). Cynthia Cooper won the Finals MVP in each of the league's first four seasons. Every winner is on our WNBA awards page.
Where to start reading
- Four for Four: the Houston Comets — the league's first dynasty
- Lisa Leslie and the first WNBA dunk — back-to-back titles and a famous play
- WNBA champions by year — every title since 1997
When you have read a couple, the WNBA Trailblazers quiz is a good way to check what stuck.
