All You Should Be Aware of Before the 2025 WNBA Season

      For fans of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), it has been a long wait, especially for those whose teams didn’t advance far in last year’s playoffs. The 2025 season is nearly here, highlighted by the recent 2025 WNBA draft on April 14 at The Shed in New York City, with the WNBA tip-off set for May 16. Following a record-breaking 2024 season that saw a 170% increase in regular-season viewership on ESPN platforms compared to 2023, alongside the most-watched WNBA Finals in 25 years, the upcoming season is expected to be one of the league’s best yet. With a growing fan base, it seems fitting to provide some background as we approach the 2025 WNBA season, introducing or reintroducing fans to the league's stars, exciting newcomers, important dates to note, and intriguing storylines to follow when games resume in mid-May. All the essential details about the forthcoming 44-game WNBA regular season (and beyond) are just a scroll away. For dedicated viewers, consider this a perfect way to pass the time until tip-off, and for newcomers, particularly those interested in the fusion of women's basketball and fashion, this serves as your WNBA guide.

      The WNBA was established on April 24, 1996, by the National Basketball Association (NBA) with eight initial teams: the Charlotte Sting, Cleveland Rockers, Houston Comets, and New York Liberty in the Eastern Conference, and the Los Angeles Sparks, Phoenix Mercury, Sacramento Monarchs, and Utah Starzz in the Western Conference. Only three of these original teams remain today, as the league has undergone numerous organizational changes since its debut season in 1997, marking its 29th season now. As of 2025, the WNBA will feature 13 teams, including the founding Los Angeles Sparks, Phoenix Mercury, and 2024 champions New York Liberty, along with the Indiana Fever, Connecticut Sun, Atlanta Dream, Minnesota Lynx, Washington Mystics, Las Vegas Aces, Seattle Storm, Chicago Sky, Dallas Wings, and new addition, the Golden State Valkyries. With 2024 being the league's most successful year yet, expansion plans are underway, with two additional teams confirmed for 2026. The theme is growth, and 2025 is anticipated to surpass 2024's record-breaking figures.

      In the WNBA, like any sports league, standout players emerge, including new faces such as 2024 rookies Caitlin Clark with the Indiana Fever and Angel Reese with the Chicago Sky, both of whom set records in their debut seasons, alongside seasoned players like Sabrina Ionescu from the New York Liberty, Napheesa Collier of the Minnesota Lynx, and A'ja Wilson with the Las Vegas Aces. For more on the league's stars, continue scrolling.

      Caitlin Clark, the first pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft and the all-time leading scorer in NCAA basketball history, is the biggest name in basketball right now. A two-time college National Player of the Year, she played all four years at the University of Iowa, earning the title of 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year. At 23 years old and from Des Moines, Iowa, her incredible shooting and passing skills spoke volumes as she shattered records in her inaugural season, becoming the all-time single-season and single-game assist leader among rookies, scoring the most points by a rookie in WNBA history, and achieving a triple-double—the first rookie to do so, doing it twice. Clark guided the Indiana Fever to their first playoff appearance since 2016 and was the first rookie since 2008 to be selected for the All-WNBA first team. Recently, Time named her the 2024 Athlete of the Year, while the Associated Press honored her as its Female Athlete of the Year. Notably, she made history by being the first athlete to wear Prada at the draft, donning an impressive ensemble. Throughout her rookie season, she continued to showcase her style in the tunnel, featuring designs from Tibi and Coach, and wowed onlookers at All-Star Weekend in a sheer minidress by Armani and accessories from Versace and Tiffany & Co.

      Fans are eager to see how 6'1'' Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier will perform this season following a tough loss in the WNBA Finals against the New York Liberty last October and a subsequent defeat in the semi-finals of the three-on-three league, Unrivaled, which she co-founded in Miami with fellow UConn alum and WNBA star Breanna Stewart. The expectation is for Collier to bring fierce competition to the court, posing a challenge for defenders. As the reigning WNBA Defensive Player of the Year and Unrivaled one-on-one tournament champion, she is a formidable presence, averaging 20.4 points and 9