2025 WNBA season
League	Women's National Basketball Association
Sport	Basketball
Duration	May 16 – October 10, 2025
Games	44 per team
Teams	13
Total attendance	3,142,082
Average attendance	10,986
TV partner(s)	ABC/ESPN/ESPN2 Ion CBS/CBSSN Amazon Prime Video NBA TV
Draft
Top draft pick	Paige Bueckers
Picked by	Dallas Wings
Regular season
Season MVP	A'ja Wilson (Las Vegas)
Playoffs
Finals champions	Las Vegas Aces (third title)
Runners-up	Phoenix Mercury
Finals MVP	A'ja Wilson (Las Vegas)
WNBA seasons
← 2024 2026 →

The2025 WNBA season was the 29th season of theWomen's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The regular season began on May 16, 2025 and ended on September 11. The fifth edition of theWNBA Commissioner's Cup was held from June 1 to July 1. The2025 WNBA All-Star Game was held on July 19, 2025, atGainbridge Fieldhouse inIndianapolis. The playoffs began on September 14th and theWNBA Finals between theLas Vegas Aces andPhoenix Mercury began on October 3, with the Aces winning the championship on October 10, for their third WNBA title. For the first time, the Finals used abest-of-seven format.^[1]

In August 2024, the WNBA announced that theIndiana Fever would host the2025 WNBA All-Star Game and related events in July 2025 for the first time in franchise history.^[2] Tickets for All-Star weekend events went on sale on April 29, 2025, and sold out within seven hours.^[3][4]

The league expanded from 12 to 13 teams with the addition of theGolden State Valkyries, who were first announced in 2023.^[5] The Valkyries were the league's first expansion team since theAtlanta Dream in2008.^[6]

For the first time in league history, all 15 preseason games were televised nationally or streamed online viaLeague Pass.^[7]

Ahead of the start of the 2025 season, the WNBA announced the launch of their newtask force called "No Space for Hate," "designed to combat hate and promote respect across all WNBA spaces—from online discourse to in-arena behavior."^[8][9] The platform will utilize AI-powered technology to monitor social media in relation to players and their teams as well as increase security measures and access to mental health resources across the league.^[9]

On May 18, 2025, theWNBA announced they had opened an investigation regarding, "allegations of inappropriate fan conduct" directed atChicago Sky players occurring during theIndiana Fever's May 17 home opener versus the Sky.^[10][11] The Sky's head coach, Tyler Marsh, told the press that he and his team did not report or witness any misconduct while atGainbridge Fieldhouse and only learned about the allegations after the game had concluded.^[12] Nine days later, the WNBA announced their investigation was complete, and all allegations of racist fan behavior were unsubstantiated.^[13][14][15]

On June 1, 2025, during theSeattle Storm home game against theLas Vegas Aces, a complaint was filed by the Aces with an allegation of a Storm assistant coach cursing at an Aces player.^[16] On June 4, the Storm's general manager,Talisa Rhea, stated to the press that the WNBA would not be launching an investigation, but rather would be "looking into it and that's really the extent of it."^[17][18]

The 2024 WNBA expansion draft was held on December 6, 2024, to fill the roster of the expansionGolden State Valkyries. The Valkyries picked one player from each of the twelve existing teams except for theSeattle Storm.^[19]

The2025 WNBA draft was held on Monday, April 14, 2025.

Pick	Player	Nationality	Team	School / club team	Ref.
1	Paige Bueckers	United States	Dallas Wings	Connecticut	[20]
2	Dominique Malonga	France	Seattle Storm(fromLos Angeles)	ASVEL Féminin
3	Sonia Citron	United States	Washington Mystics(fromChicago)	Notre Dame
4	Kiki Iriafen	United States	Washington Mystics	USC

• On September 20, 2024,Layshia Clarendon announced their retirement after twelve seasons in the WNBA. Clarendon was the first openlynon-binary WNBA player, and the first active WNBA player to havetop surgery. Clarendon played for six teams during their career and was selected as anAll-Star in2017. Clarendon played for theIndiana Fever,Atlanta Dream,Connecticut Sun,New York Liberty,Minnesota Lynx, andLos Angeles Sparks.^[21]
• On January 1, 2025,Danielle Robinson announced her retirement after twelve seasons in the WNBA. Robinson was selected to theAll-Rookie team in 2011, and was the league'sassist leader in 2013.^[22] Robinson also was selected to theAll-WNBA Second team in 2014 and theAll-Defensive Team three times during her career. She was selected as anAll-Star three times. She most recently played for theIndiana Fever^[23]
• On February 25, 2025,Diana Taurasi announced her retirement after 20 seasons in the WNBA. Taurasi spent all 20 seasons with thePhoenix Mercury, where she won threeWNBA Championships, twoFinals MVP awards, and oneregular season MVP. She was an 11-timeAll-Star, was selected 10 times to theAll-WNBA First team, and she was selected to the All-WNBA Second team four times. She won theRookie of the Year Award in her rookie season, 2004. Sheled the league in scoring five times and retired as theall-time scoring leader,free throw leader, and leader in career3-point field goals. Taurasi was also named to the three most recent WNBA anniversary teams—theTop 15 (2011),Top 20 (2016), andThe W25 (2021).^[24]
• On April 4, 2025,Elena Delle Donne announced her retirement after 10 seasons in the WNBA. Delle Donne played for both theSky andMystics, where she won oneWNBA Championship with the Mystics. She won tworegular season MVPs, one with each team. She was a seven-timeAll-Star, was selected four times to theAll-WNBA First team, and she was selected to the All-WNBA Second team once. She won theRookie of the Year Award in her rookie season, 2013. Sheled the league in scoring in 2015 and is the only WNBA player to join the50–40–90 club. Delle Donne was also named to The W25 in 2021.^[25]
• On June 10, 2025,Allie Quigley announced her retirement from professional basketball after fourteen seasons in the WNBA. Quigley spent ten of those season with theChicago Sky where she won theWNBA Championship in 2021. She was a three-timeAll-Star, and two-timeSixth Woman of the Year.^[26]

From January 11–20, 2025, teams were able to extend qualifying offers to core-eligible or reserved players.^[27]

The free agency negotiation period began on January 21, 2025, and teams were able to officially begin signing players on February 1, 2025.^[27][28]

The mid-season cut-down date for the 2025 season was July 13, the final date teams could have waived players on unprotected contracts without financial penalty.^[29]

Off-season
Team	2024 season	2025 season	Ref.
Atlanta Dream	Tanisha Wright	Karl Smesko	[30]
Chicago Sky	Teresa Weatherspoon	Tyler Marsh	[31]
Connecticut Sun	Stephanie White	Rachid Meziane	[32]
Dallas Wings	Latricia Trammell	Chris Koclanes	[33]
Golden State Valkyries	Did not exist	Natalie Nakase	[34]
Indiana Fever	Christie Sides	Stephanie White	[35]
Los Angeles Sparks	Curt Miller	Lynne Roberts	[36]
Washington Mystics	Eric Thibault	Sydney Johnson	[37]

The May 4 exhibition game, featuring theIndiana Fever andBrazil's national team, was the third most viewed preseason basketball game onESPN (in bothNBA and WNBA history) since 2010 with an average 1.3 million viewers.^[38][39]

2025 WNBA preseason

Preseason Date Time (ET) Matchup TV Result High points High rebounds High assists Location Monday, April 14 7:30 p.m. 2025 WNBA draft USA:ESPN Canada:TSN1/3/4/5, SN360/SNP — The Shed Friday, May 2 7:00 p.m. Dallas @ Las Vegas ION League Pass 78–112 Young (28) Bradford (8) Young (9) Purcell Pavilion 7,602 9:00 p.m. Brazil @ Chicago 62–89 Reese (15) Reese (10) Tied (5) Pete Maravich Assembly Center 6,373 Saturday, May 3 1:00 p.m. Washington @ Indiana USA:NBA TV League Pass Canada:NBA TV Canada 74–79 (OT) Cunningham (21) Tied (8) Sutton (5) Gainbridge Fieldhouse 12,461 Sunday, May 4 4:00 p.m. Brazil @ Indiana USA:ESPN Canada:TSN2 44–108 Mitchell (17) Martins (8) Tied (5) Carver-Hawkeye Arena 14,998 6:00 p.m. Connecticut @ Seattle League Pass 59–79 Ogwumike (18) Li (10) Brown (5) Climate Pledge Arena 7,153 Tuesday, May 6 7:00 p.m. Minnesota @ Chicago 69–74 Vandersloot (11) Smith (9) Tied (5) Wintrust Arena 4,688 10:00 p.m. Los Angeles @ Golden State 83–82 Amihere (20) Stevens (11) Hamby (6) Chase Center 17,428 Phoenix @ Las Vegas 84–85 Kelly (15) Heal (7) Gray (6) Michelob Ultra Arena 8,637 Wednesday, May 7 11:30 a.m. Atlanta @ Washington 80–70 Griner (16) Griner (10) Tied (4) CareFirst Arena 4,200 Friday, May 9 7:00 p.m. Connecticut @ New York 94–86 Charles (17) Nelson-Ododa (7) Allen (7) Barclays Center 8,395 Saturday, May 10 3:00 p.m. Indiana @ Atlanta 81–76 Tied (14) Turner (8) Clark (7) Gateway Center Arena 3,265 8:00 p.m. Toyota Antelopes @ Dallas 52–119 Bueckers (15) N. Smith (7) Tied (6) College Park Center 6,251 Chicago @ Minnesota 87–92 Collier (26) Shepard (9) Shepard (9) Target Center 7,615 Sunday, May 11 6:00 p.m. Golden State @ Phoenix 84–79 Touré (19) Whitcomb (8) Tied (6) PHX Arena 6,430 Monday, May 12 10:00 p.m. Toyota Antelopes @ New York 61–84 Ionescu (25) Amaka Okonkwo (8) Onodera (10) Matthew Knight Arena 12,364

Notes

(#) – League Standing

c – Commissioner's Cup winners

y – Regular Season Champion

x – Clinched playoff berth

e – Eliminated from playoff contention

Source:Overall standings andCommissioner's Cup Standings

Notes:

• Games highlighted in██ representCommissioner's Cup games.
• Game highlighted in██ represents the2025 WNBA All-Star Game.
• Game highlighted in██ represents the 2025 WNBA Canada game.

The following shows the leaders in each statistical category during the 2025 regular season.^[40][41][42]

Stats current as of games on September 11, 2025

On September 12, the league released an announcement schedule for the 2025 end-of-season awards.^[43]