When Does the WNBA Come Back? Explaining the All-Star and Olympic Breaks

Patrick Andres | Aug 12, 2024

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) and Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi (3) talk at half court during a free throw on June 30, 2024, at Footprint Center in Phoenix. / Owen Ziliak/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

No North American sports league's stock has exploded in 2024 quite like the WNBA's.

Buoyed by its once-in-a-lifetime rookie class of Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark, Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese, Los Angeles Sparks forward Cameron Brink and others, the league has enjoyed off-the-wall television ratings and soaring attendance. The sky is the limit for the WNBA's players, teams and fans who are seeing a transformation before their very eyes.

However, fans less familiar with the league may balk at its month-long absence smack in the middle of its current season. Where did the WNBA go? When is it coming back?

Let's take a stab at answering those questions.

Why is the WNBA not currently playing?

The league is currently finishing up two breaks back-to-back: its All-Star break and its Olympic break. The first is for the league's annual All-Star Game, while the second is for the women's basketball tournament at the Summer Olympics in Paris.

What is the WNBA All-Star break?

Every year, the WNBA plays an All-Star Game showcasing its best players, and takes a short break surrounding that game. The format of the game has varied considerably—there have been All-Star Games pitting the Eastern Conference against the Western Conference, All-Star Games between drafted teams and All-Star Games between the United States national team and an All-WNBA team.

This year's game was played between an All-WNBA team and the American national team in Phoenix, and was won 117-109 by Team WNBA on July 20.

What is the WNBA Olympic break?

The WNBA and the Olympics have always had a close relationship—the league was founded, after all, in response to an increase in women's basketball's popularity following the 1996 Games in Atlanta. Accordingly, the league took breaks during the 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2021 and 2024 seasons to allow players to participate in the Athens, Beijing, London, Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo and Paris Olympics.

In 2000—the first Olympics of the league's existence—no break was necessary, as the Sydney Games started after the WNBA season concluded.

When does the WNBA come back?

The league's season is scheduled to resume on Aug. 15 with three games—one between the Phoenix Mercury and Sky, one between the Washington Mystics and Minnesota Lynx and one between the New York Liberty and Sparks.