2025 WNBA season

The 2025 WNBA season was the 29th season of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The regular season began on May 16, 2025 and ended on September 11. The fifth edition of the WNBA Commissioner's Cup was held from June 1 to July 1. The 2025 WNBA All-Star Game was held on July 19, 2025, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The playoffs began on September 14th and the WNBA Finals between the Las Vegas Aces and Phoenix 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 a best-of-seven format.

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

The league expanded from 12 to 13 teams with the addition of the Golden State Valkyries, who were first announced in 2023. The Valkyries were the league's first expansion team since the Atlanta Dream in 2008.

For the first time in league history, all 15 preseason games were televised nationally or streamed online via League Pass.

"No Space for Hate" platform

Ahead of the start of the 2025 season, the WNBA announced the launch of their new task force called "No Space for Hate," "designed to combat hate and promote respect across all WNBA spacesÃ¢ÂÂfrom online discourse to in-arena behavior." 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.

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

On June 1, 2025, during the Seattle Storm home game against the Las Vegas Aces, a complaint was filed by the Aces with an allegation of a Storm assistant coach cursing at an Aces player. 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."

Drafts

2024 WNBA expansion draft

The 2024 WNBA expansion draft was held on December 6, 2024, to fill the roster of the expansion Golden State Valkyries. The Valkyries picked one player from each of the twelve existing teams except for the Seattle Storm.

2025 WNBA draft

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

Lottery picks

Transactions

Retirement

On September 20, 2024, Layshia Clarendon announced their retirement after twelve seasons in the WNBA. Clarendon was the first openly non-binary WNBA player, and the first active WNBA player to have top surgery. Clarendon played for six teams during their career and was selected as an All-Star in 2017. Clarendon played for the Indiana Fever, Atlanta Dream, Connecticut Sun, New York Liberty, Minnesota Lynx, and Los Angeles Sparks.
On January 1, 2025, Danielle Robinson announced her retirement after twelve seasons in the WNBA. Robinson was selected to the All-Rookie team in 2011, and was the league's assist leader in 2013. Robinson also was selected to the All-WNBA Second team in 2014 and the All-Defensive Team three times during her career. She was selected as an All-Star three times. She most recently played for the Indiana Fever
On February 25, 2025, Diana Taurasi announced her retirement after 20 seasons in the WNBA. Taurasi spent all 20 seasons with the Phoenix Mercury, where she won three WNBA Championships, two Finals MVP awards, and one regular season MVP. She was an 11-time All-Star, was selected 10 times to the All-WNBA First team, and she was selected to the All-WNBA Second team four times. She won the Rookie of the Year Award in her rookie season, 2004. She led the league in scoring five times and retired as the all-time scoring leader, free throw leader, and leader in career 3-point field goals. Taurasi was also named to the three most recent WNBA anniversary teamsÃ¢ÂÂthe Top 15 (2011), Top 20 (2016), and The W25 (2021).
On April 4, 2025, Elena Delle Donne announced her retirement after 10 seasons in the WNBA. Delle Donne played for both the Sky and Mystics, where she won one WNBA Championship with the Mystics. She won two regular season MVPs, one with each team. She was a seven-time All-Star, was selected four times to the All-WNBA First team, and she was selected to the All-WNBA Second team once. She won the Rookie of the Year Award in her rookie season, 2013. She led the league in scoring in 2015 and is the only WNBA player to join the 50Ã¢ÂÂ40Ã¢ÂÂ90 club. Delle Donne was also named to The W25 in 2021.
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 the Chicago Sky where she won the WNBA Championship in 2021. She was a three-time All-Star, and two-time Sixth Woman of the Year.

Free agency

From January 11Ã¢ÂÂ20, 2025, teams were able to extend qualifying offers to core-eligible or reserved players.

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

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.

Coaching changes

Preseason

The May 4 exhibition game, featuring the Indiana Fever and Brazil's national team, was the third most viewed preseason basketball game on ESPN (in both NBA and WNBA history) since 2010 with an average 1.3 million viewers.

Schedule

Regular season

Standings

Schedule

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Notes:

Games highlighted in represent Commissioner's Cup games.
Game highlighted in represents the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game.
Game highlighted in represents the 2025 WNBA Canada game.

All-Star Game

Statistical leaders

The following shows the leaders in each statistical category during the 2025 regular season.

Stats current as of games on September 11, 2025

Playoffs

Schedule

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Awards

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

Individual

Team

Players of the Week

Players of the Month

Rookies of the Month

Coaches of the Month

Coaches

Eastern Conference

Western Conference

Notes:

Year with team does not include 2025 season.
Records are from time at current team and are through the end of the 2024 regular season.
Playoff appearances are from time at current team only.
WNBA Finals and Championships do not include time with other teams.
Coaches shown are the coaches who began the 2025 season as head coach of each team.

Attendance

Each team hosted a total of 22 games of their 44 regular season games during the 2025 season. Multiple teams moved some of their home games to larger arenas to accommodate for increased demand.

Media coverage

National

This was the ninth and final year of the broadcast agreement with ESPN, the third and final year of the agreement with Ion, and the second and final year of an agreement with CBS Sports and Amazon. New 11-year broadcast agreements with ESPN, Ion, NBC Sports, USA Network, and Amazon will begin in 2026. Select games also aired on NBA TV through the WNBA and NBA's shared ownership.

Ion Television aired 50 regular-season games, exclusively on Friday nights. Select games were showcased nationally with others only shown to regional audiences.
NBA TV aired 40 regular-season games.
ESPN aired 26 regular-season games across ABC, ESPN and ESPN2; half of which aired over-the-air on ABC. Select games were also streamed on ESPN+ and/or Disney+. Additionally, ESPN aired the 3-Point Contest and Skills Challenge, while ABC aired the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game. ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2 also exclusively aired the WNBA playoffs and WNBA Finals.
CBS Sports aired 20 regular-season games, with eight airing on CBS and 12 airing on CBS Sports Network. For the first time, two games on CBS aired in primetime on Saturday nights. These were the first-ever primetime WNBA regular-season games on broadcast television, all CBS games were also available on Paramount+.
Amazon Prime Video streamed 20 regular-season games, along with exclusive coverage of the championship game of the WNBA Commissioner's Cup.

Local

In February 2025, the Chicago Sky announced an exclusive agreement with Weigel Broadcasting. The flagship station for these games was WCIU-TV.
In February 2025, the Dallas Wings announced an exclusive agreement with Tegna Inc. The flagship station for these games was KFAA-TV.
In March 2025, the Las Vegas Aces announced an exclusive broadcast agreement with Scripps Sports. The flagship station for these games was KMCC.
In March 2025, the Seattle Storm announced an exclusive broadcast agreement with the Sinclair Broadcast Group. The flagship station for these games was KUNS-TV.
In April 2025, the Golden State Valkyries, in its inaugural season, announced an exclusive agreement with CBS News and Stations. The flagship station for these games was KPIX-TV or KPYX.
In the spring of 2025, the Atlanta Dream, with Gray Media, the New York Liberty, with Fox Television Stations, and the Indiana Fever, with Tegna Inc., announced extensions to their exclusive broadcast agreements.
In May 2025, the Minnesota Lynx and FanDuel Sports Network North announced an agreement with Tegna Inc. to simulcast four games on KARE.
In May 2025, the Indiana Fever launched Fever Direct with Endeavor Streaming to provide access to a maximum of 18 live regular season games and full game replays to fans in approved Midwest regions.

2025 WNBA season

"No Space for Hate" platform

Drafts

2024 WNBA expansion draft

2025 WNBA draft

Lottery picks

Transactions

Retirement

Free agency

Coaching changes

Preseason

Schedule

Regular season

Standings

Schedule

All-Star Game

Statistical leaders

Playoffs

Schedule

Awards

Individual

Team

Players of the Week

Players of the Month

Rookies of the Month

Coaches of the Month

Coaches

Eastern Conference

Western Conference

Attendance

Media coverage

National

Local

References