On today's episode of The Late Sub, host Claire Watkins wades through a few big women’s sports headlines before sitting down with Golden State Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase.
Watkins chats with Nakase about leading a brand-new WNBA franchise, including building a roster from scratch and the front office team's goals and tactics in navigating Golden State's expansion draft.
Finally, Nakase discusses how she’d like her team to play, plus the fundamentals that she thinks will create a lasting locker room culture of winning as the Valkyries embark on their inaugural 2025 season.
The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes in women’s sports. This is the weekly rundown you’ve been missing, covering the USWNT, NWSL, WNBA, college hoops, and whatever else is popping off in women’s sports each week. Special guest appearances with the biggest names in women’s sports make The Late Sub a must-listen for every fan. Follow Claire on X/Twitter @ScoutRipley and subscribe to the Just Women’s Sports newsletter for more.
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The WNBA dropped its 2025 schedule on Monday, with the league's 29th season set to tip off on May 16th and run through September 11th.
With the Golden State Valkyries debuting as the league’s first expansion franchise since 2008, all 13 teams will now play 44 games (22 home, 22 away), up from 40 in 2024. Despite the additional games, the season's calendar has not increased, as 2025 will not require an extended international break like last summer's Paris Olympics necessitated.
The fifth-annual Commissioner's Cup competition will begin in June, when the six Eastern Conference teams and seven Western Conference squads will play five and six round-robin games, respectively, to determine the two conference leaders who will contend for the in-season tournament's title — and the $500,000 purse — on July 1st.
Also on the 2025 WNBA schedule is the 21st annual All-Star Game, which will take over the Indiana Fever's Gainbridge Fieldhouse on July 19th.
"We look forward to... continuing to build on the success of last season, when the WNBA delivered its most-watched Draft and All-Star Game, and set records for viewership, attendance, digital consumption, and merchandise sales," commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in Monday's release.
2025 WNBA season to tip off with all teams
All 13 teams will play on opening weekend, with the Valkyries logging their first minutes when they host an in-state battle against the LA Sparks on Friday, May 16th.
Other season-opener highlights include the Friday bout between 2024 runners-up Minnesota and Dallas, who are expected to debut UConn star Paige Bueckers as their 2025 No. 1 Draft pick, and Saturday's battle between the last two league champions — 2023 title-winners Las Vegas and reigning champs New York.
Indiana will also kick off their campaign against Chicago on May 17th, with both teams adding new head coaches to their rosters last month. Home to the the last two Rookies of the Year, Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark, the Fever will face a Sky side made stronger by Angel Reese's return from injury in the first of five 2025 regular-season meetings.
Fans eager for a 2024 Finals rematch between the reigning champions Liberty and the Lynx will have their patience tested by the 2025 schedule. Unless they meet again in the July 1st Commissioner's Cup championship, the pair won't face off until the first of their four regular-season battles on July 30th.
The WNBA's next steps
The road to the first-ever seven-game WNBA Finals series next fall begins on May 16th, but the league has a significant to-do list to tackle before stepping to the 2025 season's starting line. The WNBA must handle February's free agency signing period, April's draft, and the ongoing process of filling the league's multiple coaching vacancies — all while concurrently negotiating a new CBA with the WNBPA.
While the 2025 game calendar is set, the league's broadcast scheduled is still being hammered out and will be announced at a later date.
The WNBA's first step, however, is Friday’s expansion draft, when Golden State will begin to fill their inaugural roster by selecting players from the league's other 12 rosters live on ESPN at 6:30 PM ET.