The WNBA season at a glance
The WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association) is the top professional women's basketball league in North America, with 15 teams in 2026 and a regular season that runs from May into September, followed by playoffs and a WNBA Finals that has recently ended in October. Each team played 44 regular-season games in 2025, about 22 at home, and the 2026 season opened on schedule on May 8 after the league and players ratified a new collective bargaining agreement in March 2026.
The league was founded in April 1996 with the backing of the NBA and played its first season in 1997. It is expanding quickly: the Golden State Valkyries joined in 2025, the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire joined in 2026, and teams in Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia are scheduled to follow between 2028 and 2030, taking the league to 18. The schedule is also set to grow to 50 games in 2027.
- Regular season: May through September, with a midseason All-Star break in July.
- Commissioner's Cup: an in-season tournament, started in 2021, built into regular-season games, with a one-game Cup Final in late June or early July.
- Playoffs: the top eight teams qualify regardless of conference. The first round is best-of-three, the semifinals best-of-five and, since 2025, the Finals best-of-seven.
Where WNBA teams play
WNBA arenas fall into two groups, and the group matters for seat choice. Several teams play full-time in NBA or NHL arenas, while others use smaller buildings where nearly every seat is close to the floor. Listed capacities below are from the league's team table for 2026 and can change with the configuration.
- Big-arena teams: the New York Liberty at Barclays Center, the Golden State Valkyries at Chase Center, the Los Angeles Sparks at Crypto.com Arena, the Seattle Storm at Climate Pledge Arena, the Portland Fire at Moda Center, the Indiana Fever at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the Minnesota Lynx at Target Center and the Phoenix Mercury at Mortgage Matchup Center.
- Smaller venues: the Chicago Sky at Wintrust Arena (about 10,400), the Connecticut Sun at Mohegan Sun Arena (about 9,300), the Toronto Tempo at Coca-Cola Coliseum (about 8,700), the Dallas Wings at College Park Center in Arlington (about 7,000), the Las Vegas Aces at Michelob Ultra Arena (about 12,000), the Washington Mystics at CareFirst Arena (about 4,200) and the Atlanta Dream at Gateway Center Arena (about 3,500).
Some teams with small home buildings move marquee games to larger arenas nearby; the league's regular-season attendance record, 20,711, was set at a Mystics–Fever game in Washington. When a game has been moved, the seating chart changes completely, so check the venue on the listing before you buy. The 2026 All-Star Game was played at the United Center in Chicago on July 25.
Choosing seats in a WNBA arena
Basketball seating rewards a sideline view, and the rules are the same as for an NBA game with one difference: in WNBA arenas, the lower bowl (the sections closest to the court) holds a larger share of the crowd, so a lower-level seat is often easier to get than at an NBA game in the same building.
- Courtside and the first rows: the closest view, with players and benches a few feet away. In small arenas the first rows of the lower bowl are nearly as close.
- Lower sideline, rows 8 to 20: the best balance. You are high enough to see plays develop over the front-row heads, and both baskets are in view.
- Behind the baskets: cheaper, and good for watching one end, but depth is hard to judge and the far end of the court is distant. Lower rows behind the basket stanchion can lose part of the view.
- Upper level: in a large NBA arena, the upper bowl is a long way from a court sized for basketball; for a routine game, a lower-level corner seat is usually the better choice than the upper sideline. Some teams close upper sections when demand is light.
In the smallest venues, such as Gateway Center Arena or CareFirst Arena, there is no bad distance, and the choice is mostly sideline versus end. Sitting behind the visiting bench puts you near the opponent's huddles; the home bench side is where the home crowd is loudest.
How WNBA ticket demand behaves
Interest in the league has grown sharply since 2024. The 2024 WNBA Draft averaged 2.45 million viewers, more than four times the previous record, and the 2024 Finals drew the league's largest audience in 25 years. Total attendance reached 3,142,082 in 2025, an average of about 10,986 per game. Deloitte projects that global women's elite sports revenue will reach at least 3 billion dollars in 2026, with North America producing 53 percent of 2025 revenue, and it notes that women's sports still have fewer repeat season ticket holders than men's leagues, which means more of the crowd buys game by game (Deloitte, Game Changers, 2026; Deloitte's figures are global forecasts, not US-only).
That growth is uneven. Demand concentrates on a few kinds of games:
- Star-driven road games: visits by the most popular players, especially Indiana Fever road games, draw crowds well above the home team's usual numbers.
- Expansion teams: the Valkyries averaged 18,064 in 2025, filling Chase Center for the full season.
- Small buildings: a 4,000-seat arena sells out faster than a 17,000-seat one, so popular opponents can make resale the only option.
- Playoffs: series formats mean the later games are announced only if needed, so tickets for Game 3 of a best-of-five appear late and swing with the series.
For an ordinary midweek game in a large arena, availability tends to stay wide until game day.
Champions, records and the teams to know
Three franchises share the record of four titles: the Houston Comets (the league's first dynasty, now defunct), the Minnesota Lynx and the Seattle Storm. The New York Liberty won their first championship in 2024. The Las Vegas Aces won their third title in 2025, beating the Phoenix Mercury 3–1 in the first best-of-seven Finals, and the Aces also won the 2026 Commissioner's Cup Final on June 30 over the Liberty.
Rosters and coaching staffs change every season, and the expansion drafts of 2025 and 2026 reshuffled several teams, so check each team's current roster rather than relying on last year's stars. The NBA hub covers the men's league, which shares several of these arenas.
Tips for your first WNBA game
- Confirm the venue: some teams play select games in a bigger arena; the address on the ticket is what counts.
- Arrive for warmups: check the team's door time; arriving early lets you watch warmups, and in the smaller arenas that means watching from close range.
- Check the bag policy: NBA and NHL arenas generally apply their own bag rules to WNBA games. As of 2026 these differ by building, so check the venue's current policy before you go.
- Plan for the clock: a WNBA game is four 10-minute quarters and usually runs about two hours.
- Watch the playoff calendar: if your team is in contention, playoff home dates are set late, so keep the September and October weekends flexible.
The full schedule and standings are published at WNBA.com.
Frequently asked questions
How many teams are in the WNBA?
Fifteen in 2026, after the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire joined. Teams in Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia are scheduled to join between 2028 and 2030.
When is the WNBA season?
The regular season runs from May into September, and the playoffs follow, with the Finals ending in October in recent seasons. The 2026 season began May 8.
What are the best seats at a WNBA game?
Lower-level sideline seats about 8 to 20 rows up give the best view of both baskets. In a large NBA arena, a lower corner seat usually beats the upper deck.
Which WNBA team has won the most championships?
The Houston Comets, Minnesota Lynx and Seattle Storm have four titles each. The Las Vegas Aces won the 2025 championship, their third.
How does the WNBA playoff format work?
The top eight teams qualify. The first round is best-of-three, the semifinals are best-of-five and the Finals have been best-of-seven since 2025.