As the WNBA expands its regular season from 44 games to 50 games in 2027, Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon said the upside is clear—more money and more games—but warned about the wear and tear that comes when additional competitions pile up. WNBA Commissioner
PHOENIX — Becky Hammon didn’t need a spreadsheet to describe what’s coming. When she stepped into Wednesday’s talk about the WNBA’s next leap, she framed the change in plain terms: “We just keep tacking on games.”
The Las Vegas Aces coach was speaking ahead of the Aces’ matchup against the Phoenix Mercury, with the league having announced its regular-season schedule will expand from 44 games to 50 games in 2027.
Hammon’s response carried the double edge of progress. “More money, more games. That’s the way it works,” she said, connecting the schedule shift to the league’s broader growth. But she also sounded a note of caution about what longer seasons demand from players—especially when the calendar gets crowded.
She pointed to the 2027 FIBA Women’s AmeriCup tournament in El Salvador, set for July 2027. “We’ll have to see if they allow even some more roster spots and stuff like that because that’s a lot of wear and tear on a group. especially when you start mixing World Cup and all this other stuff. ” Hammon said. “It is good. I mean, it is what it is. It’s the growth of the league and so when you look at it at, that lens, it’s good.”.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said the move is driven by demand. In a statement on Wednesday. Engelbert said the league’s regular-season expansion to 50 games reflects that “demand for the WNBA has never been greater.” Additional details about the 2027 schedule—key dates and timelines—will be released later. and Hammon said she’s interested in those specifics.
Phoenix Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts echoed the optimism, while zeroing in on the logistics. He said he’s curious about “the window … where the games are played” in a 50-game regular season. “Our league is continuing to expand. more people are seeing it. so I think more games is good. but there’s going to be some challenges as far as the scheduling in that window that they’ve played in or that we’ve played in over the last couple of years. ” Tibbetts said. “The more games you play, the less practices you have. So there’s a delicate balance there and finding the rhythm of that.”.
The push to more games has been steady. The number of regular season contests jumped from 32 games in 2021 to 36 games in 2022, then to 40 games in 2023 and 2024. The schedule increased to 44 games in 2025 and 2026, and now another expansion is set for 2027.
Engelbert tied the next step to the league’s momentum. In her statement. she said. “Expanding to a 50-game regular season reflects the extraordinary momentum we are seeing across the league. ” and that the 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.”.
One key planning constraint comes from the landmark CBA deal signed earlier this year. Under that agreement, the 2027 season can end no later than Nov. 21 in 2027 and Nov. 30 in 2028. The CBA also includes an option for the league to expand to 52 regular-season games by 2029.
For Hammon and Tibbetts. the question now isn’t whether the league is growing—it’s how the growth gets managed once it reaches 50 games. Hammon’s focus on roster spots and the timing around July 2027 international play points to the practical reality behind the headline: more appearances on the calendar can mean more exposure. but also less margin for rest.
And for a league built on rhythm—players, coaches, and teams syncing week after week—the next test will be whether the schedule can keep pace with demand without tightening the human limits that make those games possible.
WNBA Becky Hammon Las Vegas Aces Phoenix Mercury Cathy Engelbert 50-game regular season 2027 schedule FIBA Women's AmeriCup roster spots practice balance CBA labor agreement sports business
More games means more injuries, mark my words.
I don’t get why they keep adding games like it’s free. If players are already tired, just pay them more and leave the schedule alone. Also sounds like the tournament stuff is gonna mess up chemistry.
Wait so 2027 they’re gonna play 50 games but also have that AmeriCup thing? I thought FIBA was like… men’s only? So is that why they’re doing it? Seems like they’re just trying to copy the NBA grind culture.
Wear and tear is real but it also feels like they’re acting shocked. If you add games and travel around, yeah bodies break down. I’m sure the money part is true though, because everything is about money now. Becky said spreadsheet but she probably just meant, you know, “more stuff means more problems.”