The WNBA regular season just got a bit longer.
The league announced Monday that it is adding six more regular-season games beginning in 2027, expanding the season from 44 games this year to 50 next year.
Per ESPN’s Alexa Philippou, the WNBA also has the option to expand further to 52 games in 2029.
“Demand for the WNBA has never been greater, and expanding to a 50-game regular season reflects the extraordinary momentum we are seeing across the league,” WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a statement. “This move reflects our commitment to growing the game and creating more opportunities for the fans to watch the best players in the world and experience the extraordinary talent and competition that define the WNBA.”
An expansion to 50 games was made possible by the ratification of a new collective bargaining agreement in March. Per Philippou, the CBA also stipulates that the season can end no later than Nov. 21.
Other elements in the new CBA include an increased salary cap, increased bonuses and changes to rookie contracts.