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 spaces—from 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 PickPlayerNationalityTeamSchool / club team 1 Paige Bueckers Dallas Wings Connecticut 2 Dominique Malonga Seattle Storm ASVEL Féminin 3 Sonia Citron Washington Mystics Notre Dame 4 Kiki Iriafen Washington Mystics USC

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 teams—the 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 50–40–90 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 11–20, 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 Off-season Team 2024 season 2025 seasonAtlanta Dream Tanisha Wright Karl SmeskoChicago Sky Teresa Weatherspoon Tyler MarshConnecticut Sun Stephanie White Rachid MezianeDallas Wings Latricia Trammell Chris Koclanes Golden State Valkyries Did not exist Natalie NakaseIndiana Fever Christie Sides Stephanie WhiteLos Angeles Sparks Curt Miller Lynne RobertsWashington Mystics Eric Thibault Sydney Johnson

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

2025 WNBA season

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