WNBA Announces Changes to Regular Season Schedule, Playoff Format

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced that changes are coming to the regular season schedule and playoff format beginning in 2025.

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert holds a press conference before game one of the WNBA Finals / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Some big changes are coming to the WNBA in 2025. League commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced that there will be more regular season games and a new playoff format moving forward.

As the WNBA welcomes in the Golden State Valkyries next season — and expansion teams in Toronto and Portland in 2026 — the regular season will increase from 40 to 44 games. The number playoff teams will remain the same, with the top-eight teams in the league receiving a spot in the postseason.

Speaking of playoffs, the WNBA will also be changing its format moving forward. It'll begin with a change to first-round action.

While the WNBA will keep a best-of-3 format, it will now move to a 1-1-1 style, going away from the 2-1 format.

Previously, the higher-seeded team hosted the first two games of the first round. If a Game 3 was necessary, the lower-seeded team would host the deciding game. Moving forward, the higher-seeded team will host Game 1 and Game 3 (if necessary), while the lower-seeded team hosts Game 2.

The semifinal format will remain the same in 2025. The league will continue to have a best-of-5 series with a 2-2-1 structure. However, the WNBA Finals will look a little different.

For the Finals, the WNBA is expanding to a seven-game series, which will follow a 2-2-1-1-1 format. The higher-seeded team will host the first two games, as well as Game 5 and Game 7, if necessary. The lower-seeded squad would then host the third and fourth games, as well as Game 6, if necessary.

Because of the growing popularity of the league, it only makes sense to increase the number of games and make the postseason more appealing. It should make for some entertaining basketball in 2025.