WNBA announces move to best-of-7 Finals starting next season

NEW YORK — The WNBA will transfer to a best-of-seven sequence for the WNBA Finals beginning subsequent season, commissioner Cathy Engelbert mentioned Thursday.

In her deal with to the media earlier than Sport 1 of the Finals between the New York Liberty and the Minnesota Lynx, Engelbert additionally mentioned the league will go to a 1-1-1 format for the best-of-three first spherical, giving all playoff groups at the least one dwelling sport.

As well as, the common season will broaden from 40 to 44 video games.

The WNBA has had a best-of-five format for the Finals since 2005. From 1998 by way of 2004, it was a best-of-three sequence. The championship within the inaugural WNBA season in 1997 was determined in a single-game format.

The very best-of-seven sequence could have a 2-2-1-1-1 construction during which the upper seed would host Video games 1, 2, 5 and seven, and its opponent would host Video games 3, 4 and 6.

“This may give our followers a championship-series format they’re accustomed to seeing in different sports activities,” Engelbert mentioned.

The WNBA semifinals will proceed to be a best-of-five format.

The primary spherical has modified over time. Its most up-to-date setup featured the primary two video games of a best-of-three sequence performed on the dwelling of the upper seed, and a attainable third sport on the dwelling of the decrease seed. However that format did not assure at the least one dwelling sport for each playoff workforce, which the 1-1-1 situation will do.

Engelbert mentioned the WNBA’s transfer to constitution flights for all video games beginning this season will assist with the playoff format modifications.

She additionally introduced that the enlargement draft for the league’s thirteenth workforce, the Golden State Valkyries, will likely be Nov. 17 at 5 p.m. on ESPN. It was additionally confirmed that the Valkyries will choose fifth in each spherical of the usual draft in April. The Valkyries, who introduced new coach Natalie Nakase earlier Thursday, start play subsequent season.

The WNBA’s common season moved to 40 video games in 2023. Including 4 extra regular-season video games and the potential of longer playoffs means the league is more likely to go later into October to complete its season, which typically begins in mid-Might.

The league additionally should plan round worldwide occasions — the Summer time Olympics and the FIBA Ladies’s Basketball World Cup — each different 12 months. Neither occasion is held subsequent season, so Engelbert mentioned it was the right time to launch the playoff modifications, which have been mentioned the previous few years.

“It is a fixed balancing of the schedule,” Engelbert mentioned. “The league’s progress and elevated demand for WNBA basketball made this the best time … to supply followers extra alternatives to see one of the best gamers on the planet compete on the highest stage.”

The WNBA has two extra enlargement groups that may start play in 2026: Toronto and Portland. Engelbert reiterated Thursday the league expects so as to add yet one more workforce no later than 2028. Sixteen groups would match essentially the most the WNBA has had in its historical past.

With a celebrated draft class this season led by WNBA Rookie of the Yr Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever and Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky, the league has obtained bigger viewership and media protection. However that has additionally include some challenges, together with an uptick of unfavorable remarks on social media.

Final month, Engelbert was criticized by some gamers and the gamers’ affiliation for remarks she made on CNBC that they felt did not correctly deal with the particular racist, misogynistic and anti-gay tone of some dialogue across the WNBA. Engelbert then wrote a letter apologizing to the gamers, and Thursday, she reiterated the league’s dedication to defending gamers as a lot as attainable.

“The hateful speech and threats directed at our gamers are troubling,” Engelbert mentioned. “That sort of conduct is just not consultant of the WNBA’s character or fan base. As a league, we stand united in condemning racism and all types of hate. The WNBA is among the most inclusive and various skilled sports activities leagues on the planet. And we are going to proceed to champion these values.”

Requested what particularly the WNBA might do relating to social media, Engelbert mentioned the league would proceed to work with the gamers’ affiliation.

“We’ll method this multidimensionally,” she mentioned. “Using know-how, prioritizing psychological well being, reinforcing bodily safety and rising monitoring. We all know there’s extra work to be performed, and as a league we’re absolutely dedicated to listening to the gamers and different stakeholders.

“There is not any place in sports activities for this. I feel we’ve got been assembly with some know-how suppliers. … There are some know-how options we might deploy. We’ve to proceed to be a voice in opposition to this, condemning it. And discover each alternative to assist our gamers, who’ve been coping with this for for much longer than this 12 months.”