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WNBA Season Format: From Tipoff to Championship
A complete overview of the WNBA season structure, including the regular season, Commissioner's Cup, playoff format and how the draft fits into the calendar.
The WNBA season packs a full professional basketball campaign into roughly five months, running from May through October. Here is how the calendar breaks down and what to watch for on the schedule.
Regular season
Each of the league's 12 teams plays 40 regular-season games over approximately 20 weeks. Unlike the NBA, the WNBA does not have conferences that determine playoff matchups; all 12 teams compete for eight playoff spots based on overall record.
The Commissioner's Cup
A subset of regular-season games, typically the first 10 for each team, are designated as Commissioner's Cup games. The two teams with the best Cup records play a standalone championship game in mid-season. Cup games also count in the regular-season standings, so they appear on the normal schedule.
Playoff format
The top eight teams qualify for the playoffs. First-round matchups are best-of-three, the semifinals are best-of-five, and the WNBA Finals are best-of-five. Seeding is based on regular-season record with the higher seed earning home-court advantage.
Olympic break
In Olympic years the WNBA takes a month-long break so players can represent their national teams. The schedule resumes after the Games, compressing the remaining regular-season games into a shorter window.
The WNBA Draft
Held each April before the season begins, the WNBA Draft is three rounds with picks determined by a lottery for non-playoff teams and inverse order of finish for playoff teams. Draft night sets the rosters you will see on the schedule when the season tips off in May.