Exploring the WNBA
The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) is the United States’ premier women’s professional basketball competition, featuring some of the best female players in the world. Throughout the season, thousands of basketball fans flock to see their favourite teams in action each week, while hundreds of thousands more watch on at home.
📜 WNBA History
The WNBA was formed in 1996 and launched its inaugural season the following year. The league had the distinction of being the only one to receive the NBA’s full backing; this set it apart from the defunct Women’s Professional Basketball League (WBL) – which operated from 1978 to 1981 as the first major women’s professional basketball league in the USA – and the rival American Basketball League (ABL), which also emerged in 1996 but lasted only until 1998.
The league initially launched with 8 teams. By 1999, this had increased to 12. Although some of the original franchises such as the Houston Comets have ceased operations, that remains the number of teams in operation today thanks to the introduction of expansion teams over the years. The 1999 season also saw the signing of a collective bargaining agreement between the players and the league, a historic moment in women’s professional sport.
The WNBA continued to grow in popularity over the years, in no small part thanks to stars such as Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, and Candace Parker.
💯 Structure and Format of WNBA Games
The league is comprised of 13 teams, all based in the United States, split evenly into Eastern and Western Conferences. The season typically runs from May to September, although in Olympic years the WNBA typically takes a month-long mid-season break so that players may represent their national teams, and likewise when the FIBA World Cup is held there is usually either a break or the season ends early depending on the scheduling.
During the regular season, each team plays 44 games, 22 apiece home and away, playing every opponent at least twice.
The teams are ranked by win-percentage. The top 8 teams overall advance to the WNBA Playoffs, where the overall league champions are determined in the WNBA Championships. Unlike the NBA, the WNBA has not separated teams by conference upon reaching the Playoffs since 2015.
The Playoffs are seeded and played over 3 knockout rounds; the first round, semifinals, and final. The first round is contested as a best-of-3 series, while the semifinals are best-of-5. The finals are best-of-7.
Matches consist of 4 x 10-minute quarters, plus overtime periods of 5 minutes each if the game is tied. There are 5 players on each team – a center, a power forward, a small forward, a shooting guard, and a point guard – and there is no limit on substitutions, but they can only be done during a break in play.
A successful basket – known as a field goal – is worth either 2 or 3 points, depending on whether the shot is inside or behind the 3-point line. Free throws, which are awarded by the referee after a foul is committed, are worth 1 point, although a referee may award 1, 2, or 3 free throws at a time.