Rebecca Lobo Calls Out WNBA's Condensed Schedule Amid Injury Issues

As per research done by Garrett Gastfield, Lobo highlighted the shrinking number of days on average teams in the W had between games for rest and recovery from year-to-year: 2021: 4.03, 2022: 2.81, 2023: 2.88, 2024: 3.23, 2025: 2.70

As Injuries Rise, ESPN's Rebecca Lobo Calls for Schedule Reform in Ongoing CBA Talks

ESPN sports telecaster and sideline reporter Holly Rowe also chimed in, reposting Lobo’s post saying, “Not sustainable. Health of the players is paramount.”

Minimizing the time players get to rest between games can directly result in injury as Dr. Laura Moore, a sports physician and orthopedic surgeon at the Hospital for Special Surgery explains:

“When you’re getting into these condensed schedules, when you're playing a lot of games in a week, you're not having time to rest, you're not having time to do the cross training or supportive training that you might normally do in between games.”  

With injuries piling up across the league, calls to address the WNBA’s jam-packed schedule have grown louder. Saturday’s lengthy injury report only added fuel to the conversation, prompting fan reactions ranging from sarcastic—“Okay, so is there anyone who is actually playing tomorrow?”—to frustrated, with one person writing, “[This sh*t] not normal.”

The New York Liberty are about to enter a grueling run of 12 games over just 22 days. With nine of those days spent traveling, that leaves 21 of 22 days fully booked—offering little to no time for rest, let alone the strength and mobility work that Dr. Moore emphasized as key to preventing injuries. 

As the WNBPA and league continue negotiations for the next Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) that would take effect in 2026, workload and schedule reform are quickly emerging as core issues. In this pivotal moment for the WNBA, finding a sustainable balance between expansion and athlete welfare has grown to be among the top priorities for long-term success.