WNBA expanding regular season, changing playoff format in 2025

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced changes for the 2025 WNBA season, including an expanded regular season and a new playoff format, ahead of Game 1 of the WNBA Finals Thursday night at Barclays Center in New York.

The changes include expanding the regular season to 44 games from the current 40 and expanding the WNBA Finals to a seven-game series. The Finals, including this year's between the Lynx and New York Liberty, have been a five-game series format.

Additionally, the WNBA will also be changing the formats of first-round playoff series. This year and in years past, first-round series have been a 2-1 format, meaning the higher-seeded team with home-court advantage hosts the first two games of the series, with a potential deciding Game 3 being hosted by the lower-seeded team.

But beginning next season, the format will change to 1-1-1, meaning the higher seed with home-court advantage will host Game 1, the lower seed will host Game 2 and if a deciding Game 3 is necessary, the high seed will host the win-or-go-home matchup.

The changes come as the WNBA is welcoming a 13th team, the Golden State Valkyries, beginning next season.