Lynx to play 50-game schedule starting in 2027

Minnesota Lynx fans will have even more chances to watch their team next season.

On Wednesday, the WNBA announced that starting in 2027, teams will play a 50-game regular-season schedule. That means six games are being added to the schedule from the current 44-game format.

"Demand for the WNBA has never been greater, and expanding to a 50-game regular season reflects the extraordinary momentum we are seeing across the league," WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a statement.

"This move reflects our commitment to growing the game and creating more opportunities for fans to watch the best players in the world and experience the extraordinary talent and competition that define the WNBA."

It's the second time the league has increased the length of the regular season in the last three seasons. The league jumped from 40 to 44 games in 2025 with the addition of the Golden State Valkyries. From 2003 to 2019, the WNBA played 34 regular-season games. The number fluctuated in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID, but increased to 36 games in the 2022 season.

The expanded schedule comes amid expansion teams joining the league. The Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo began play this season, and three more teams — Cleveland (2028), Detroit (2029), and Philadelphia (2030) — will be joining the WNBA over the next several seasons.

The announcement also comes just several months after the league and its players agreed to a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. The new contract outlines that the 2027 season can end no later than Nov. 21, while the 2028 season has to conclude no later than Nov. 30. There is also an option to expand to a 52-game schedule by the 2029 season.

Key details, including dates, about the 2027 season will be announced at a later date.