In a press conference ahead of the WNBA Finals between the New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx, commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced upcoming changes to the league's regular-season and playoff formats for 2025. The regular season will expand from 40 to 44 games, coinciding with the addition of the Golden State Valkyries as the WNBA's 13th franchise.
The playoffs will maintain an eight-team format with three rounds, but the best-of-three first round will now see the higher-seeded team host Game 1, the lower-seeded team hosting Game 2, and the higher-seeded team hosting Game 3 if necessary. This marks a shift from the previous format, where the higher-seeded team hosted Games 1 and 2, with the lower-seeded team hosting Game 3 if required. Notably, this year all first-round matchups ended in two-game sweeps, meaning the lower-seeded teams didn’t host any games.
The best-of-five semifinals will remain unchanged in their 2-2-1 format, but the WNBA Finals will shift to a best-of-seven format with a 2-2-1-1-1 structure. This change is significant as it is the first time in league history that any playoff round will be best-of-seven, aligning with the NBA standard.
These playoff adjustments provide clear benefits. Previously, lower-seeded teams did not have a guaranteed home game and could only end the series at home if they were ahead, a situation that seemed unfair. Now, the higher-seeded team can enjoy the right to host that crucial deciding game, which is consistent with the semifinal and final formats.
Additionally, the regular season continues to grow, increasing from 32 games in 2021 to 36 in 2022, 40 in 2023 and 2024, and now reaching 44 games. Further expansions are planned, with Toronto and Portland expected to join as the league’s 14th and 15th teams in 2026.
Golden State Valkyries joins as 13th Franchise
The Golden State Valkyries, the new WNBA expansion team, have officially named Natalie Nakase as their first head coach. At 44 Nakase steps into this role after serving as an assistant with the Las Vegas Aces since 2022, where she played a key role in securing back-to-back championships. General manager Ohemaa Nyanin conducted an extensive search, considering various collegiate and international candidates before choosing Nakase. Before joining the Aces, Nakase held several positions with the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers, including assistant coach and player development coach for their G League team. Her coaching career began in Germany with the Wolfenbuttel Wildcats in 2008, followed by a stint as an assistant with the Tokyo Apache in Japan's Men’s Professional Basketball League.
