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.

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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.

Players representing four teams attend the 2025 WNBA Draft lottery.
Dallas won the 2025 Draft Lottery, but the WNBA faces more moves before the 2025 season. (Chris Marion/NBAE via Getty Images)

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.

The WNBA announced Thursday that Indiana guard Caitlin Clark is the 2024 Rookie of the Year, giving the Fever back-to-back ROTYs after Aliyah Boston's 2023 win.

Nearly mirroring Boston's unanimous election, Clark garnered 66 of the 67 votes. Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese, whose season was cut short due to a wrist injury, received the remaining first-place vote.

"I am incredibly honored to be named Rookie of the Year, but more than that, I am grateful to everyone that supported me throughout this past season – my family and friends, my teammates, the Fever organization and everyone that cheered us on all season," Clark said in the Fever's statement. "I am so proud of what we accomplished and so excited for what the future holds."

Caitlin Clark shoots a deep three-pointer during a game.
Known for her deep three-pointers, Clark made WNBA history this season. (Chet White/Getty Images)

Clark's rookie season is one for the record books

This year has been all gas, no brakes for the 2024 WNBA Draft's overall No. 1 pick. During the regular season, Clark led all rookies in scoring at 19.2 points per game and topped the league with 8.4 assists per game and with 122 total three-pointers.

In July, the 2024 All-Star became the first rookie in WNBA history to ever put up a triple-double. Not satisfied with that, Clark recorded a second one in early September.

She ultimately inked her name into the league's history books with multiple records, including single-season and single-game assists, and single-season rookie scoring.

In the Fever's first .500 season in eight years, Clark helped Indiana to a 20-20 record after a sputtering 1-8 season start. As a result, the Fever made their first postseason run since 2016.

The franchise also smashed viewership and attendance records thanks in large part to Clark's popularity. Indiana home games ultimately drew over 90,000 more fans than the league's previous home attendance season record, set at 250,565 by the Liberty in 2001.

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First-year stars join Clark on WNBA All-Rookie Team

The 2024 All-Rookie Team ​also dropped on Thursday, with Clark, Reese, Kamilla Cardoso, Rickea Jackson, and Leonie Fiebich all getting the nod.

Reese, Clark's biggest ROTY competition before her season-ending injury, claimed records of her own in her abbreviated first campaign. The 2024 All-Star now holds the league's record for consecutive double-doubles, the single-season rebound mark, and boasts the WNBA's highest rebound average in history.

Reese's Chicago teammate, center Cardoso, also put up stunning rookie season numbers, ultimately leading all first-year players with an impressive 52.1% field goal percentage. Meanwhile, forward Jackson made an immediate impact on the Sparks's stat sheet as the team's second leading scorer.

The Liberty's Fiebich is a WNBA rookie, but the 24-year-old German's overseas career already earned her MVP honors in Spain's pro league. Her All-Rookie Team honor is based on Fiebich's regular-season play, but she's still making key contributions in New York's ongoing WNBA postseason run.

Aliyah Boston loves Caitlin Clark’s versatility.

The Indiana Fever star and WNBA Rookie of the Year spoke with Indianapolis’ WISH-TV about what impresses her about Clark, who is projected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. The Fever won the top pick in the draft lottery for the second straight year after selecting Boston with the No. 1 pick in 2023.

“Super exciting,” Boston said of getting the No. 1 overall pick. “I think it’s going to be a great addition to our team whoever we’re able to draft in that moment. So, I’m really excited.”

When asked specifically about Clark, Boston played coy. Clark has another year of eligibility remaining and remains undecided about her future, though the Iowa star is treating this season as though it’s her last.

“I think whoever we add is going to be amazing,” Boston said. Even still, she did offer up some high praise for Clark, who leads the country in scoring with 30.2 points per game.

When asked what impresses her the most about Clark, Boston listed several attributes.

“How versatile she is. Her vision on the court,” Boston said. “I think that’s super important. And I think she does a great job of that at Iowa.

“I think it’s going to be exciting whatever she decides, whether that’s to come out (into the WNBA Draft) or that’s to stay in. Regardless, ultimately, it’s her decision. She has to do what’s best for her. But whoever we get in the number one pick, they’re going to enjoy the Fever.”

The Indiana Fever hold the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft for the second consecutive year after again winning the draft lottery.

Following the Fever in the 2024 draft will be the Los Angeles Sparks (No. 2), Phoenix Mercury (No. 3) and Seattle Storm (No. 4).

No. 1 overall picks have a prolific history in the WNBA. Those players have won 38 championships, 13 MVPs and 124 All-Star selections, according to ESPN.

The Fever were represented at the draft lottery by 2023 top pick and WNBA rookie of the year Aliyah Boston. If Iowa star Caitlin Clark decides to go pro after her senior season, she and Boston on the same team could prove deadly for the rest of the league. 

“I think it’s just going to be another talented player that we can use to help build us to back to the franchise that the Fever was at, so I’m super excited for the upcoming draft,” Boston said to ESPN on the broadcast. 

Like many other players for the draft, Clark has some NCAA eligibility remaining, which could shake up draft predictions. Players have until March to declare for the draft — unless their team is in the NCAA tournament after the deadline, in which case players have until 48 hours after their final game to declare.

The draft is scheduled for April 15, 2024, and Just Women’s Sports has made early predictions for the lottery picks.

No. 1 South Carolina basketball is off to a historic start. The Gamecocks are averaging 107.0 points per game through their first two games of the season, shooting them up the AP Top 25 from No. 6 to No. 1. 

Such high-quality play is not uncommon under head coach Dawn Staley. And it shows in the program’s WNBA legacy. 

Staley has coached the Gamecocks since 2008, and since then, she’s helped produce multiple WNBA stars. Reigning WNBA Finals MVP A’ja Wilson, 2023 Rookie of the Year Aliyah Boston, Tiffany Mitchell, Allisha Gray, Laeticia Amihere and more professional players came from Staley’s program.

“We produce pros,” Staley said. “The very best in the league. And if that’s not proof in the pudding, then this isn’t the place for you.”

South Carolina women’s basketball didn’t have this winning reputation when Staley took the helm in 2008, though. 

In 2008 and 2009, Staley and the Gamecocks had losing seasons. But every season thereafter, their record improved. South Carolina secured its first No. 1 ranking and its first Final Four appearance during the 2014-15 season. By 2022, the Gamecocks have appeared in four Final Fours and they’ve collected seven SEC tournament victories and two NCAA championships, among other accolades. 

Staley referred to her players as “the storytellers of the program.” While that may be true, South Carolina basketball likely would not have the WNBA pedigree that it has today without Staley’s coaching and guidance. 

After going shot-for-shot with No. 6 South Carolina for much of the first two quarters, No. 14 Maryland fell apart before halftime at Colonial Life Arena.

The Gamecocks went on a nine-point run in the final minute of the first half on their home court to secure a firm lead after 20 minutes of play. And their high rate of scoring continued for the rest of the game, adding to their historic start to the season.

South Carolina went on to beat Maryland by a score of 114-76 — the most points in a single game for the Gamecocks since 2020 and the most points against a ranked opponent in program history. Following on a 100-71 season-opening win against Notre Dame, South Carolina has scored at least 100 points in the first two games for the first time in program history.

“I actually think they’re better than last year,” Maryland head coach Brenda Frese said after the game.

The Gamecocks exploited the Terps’ zone defense and pulled them out of the paint. South Carolina pulled down a staggering 53 rebounds to Maryland’s 33, which allowed the Gamecocks to drop 28 second-chance points.

The Terps also struggled to maintain possession of the basketball — South Carolina forced 15 turnovers and was able to convert them to 23 points. 

The game ended with seven Gamecocks scoring in double figures. And if the loss wasn’t enough for Maryland, its highest scorer, Shyanne Sellers, exited the game late in the fourth quarter with an apparent injury to her foot. 

South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley’s squad was said to be “renovating” its lineup this year after losing 2023 WNBA rookie of the year Aliyah Boston and other starters. Yet the Gamecocks are averaging 107 points per game.

Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston could be WNBA teammates in 2024, and they are well aware of the possibility.

Clark enters the college basketball season as the projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. The Iowa superstar has yet to determine whether she’ll go pro or return for a fifth year with the Hawkeyes — but if she heads to the WNBA, there is a good chance she will wind up with Boston.

The Indiana Fever selected Boston with No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft, and the former South Carolina standout went on to become the unanimous selection for WNBA Rookie of the Year. The Fever also hold the best odds for the No. 1 pick in 2024, with a 44.2% chance of winning the draft lottery on Dec. 10.

Boston, who is making her broadcast debut as an analyst for Big Ten basketball games this season, sat down with Clark in October for a Taylor Swift-themed interview. So it was inevitable that the draft would come up.

“Well, the Indiana Fever could have the first pick, so maybe we’ll have the duo,” Clark said. “I don’t know. Remains to be seen. But me and Aliyah might be teammates at some point, you never know.”

Of course, the two aren’t strangers to one another on the court. Clark and Iowa beat out Boston and South Carolina in the 2023 Final Four, and the two also have been teammates on Team USA.

“We were teammates before, so maybe we’ll have to reconnect,” Clark said of the WNBA draft, to which Boston replied: “Exactly.”

Still, Clark is entering her senior season with her mind open to all possibilities. But she knows she does not want to live with any regrets.

“I don’t know if I’m going to stay, I don’t know if I’m going to go,” she said. “I think it’s just something that, your time in college is so special. It’s different from being a pro. Obviously I haven’t lived that, but you just kind of know that from watching the WNBA, I’m a big fan. And I just want to experience every single moment and really soak it in. Soak in the games we lose, soak in the games we win.

“I feel like I was just a freshman — you can probably say the same. Time flies by, but these are some of the best moments of your life. So I think the biggest thing is, I don’t know what I’m going to do yet, but I’m just going to enjoy every single experience that I have this year because each one is unique and each one is special in its own way.”

South Carolina’s MiLaysia Fulwiley and Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo were playing in their first college basketball game Monday.

Not only that, but they were playing their first college basketball game all the way across the Atlantic Ocean in Paris. And they were doing so in front of a national audience on ESPN.

None of that slowed down the freshmen phenoms, who received praise from NBA legend Magic Johnson, Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant and Indiana Fever star Aliyah Boston.

Fulwiley and the No. 6 Gamecocks won the day, claiming a 100-71 win over the No. 10 Irish at Halles Georges Arena to open the season. A guard out of Columbia, South Carolina, Fulwiley contributed 17 points, six assists and six steals off the bench in her debut. She also made what Johnson described as “the best move in all of basketball.”

“I’m watching the women’s basketball game between South Carolina and Notre Dame right now and I just saw the best move in all of basketball, including the pros like LeBron, Steph, KD, Victor, and Jokic,” Johnson wrote on social media. “Everyone must see the coast-to-coast, behind-the-back move by freshman guard MiLaysia Fulwiley from South Carolina. WOW!!”

Fulwiley discussed the move with ESPN’s Holly Rowe after the game, saying: “That was my favorite move when I was in high school. So I just did it.”

Hidalgo, who hails from Haddonfield, New Jersey, scored a game-high 31 points. She became just the third guard since 2009 to score 30 or more points against the Gamecocks, joining Chennedy Carter and Paige Bueckers, per Her Hoops Stats.

“Hidalgo and Fulwiley moving DIFFERENT out here,” Durant wrote on social media.

There is a lot of mutual respect between Candace Parker and Aliyah Boston.

Speaking at the 2023 espnW Women and Sports Summit, Parker noted that her mother and her daughter are “big Aliyah Boston fans.” And it’s the way that Boston has carried herself throughout her college career and into the WNBA that has made Parker a big fan as well.

“I think the biggest thing for me is to see young women athletes taking advantage of the platform that they have and doing it in the way that Aliyah does it,” Parker said. “The way that she carries herself, the family that she comes from, she’s a beast. I’ve guarded her, that’s how I know my time is coming. She’s a beast in the paint, but she steps outside the lines and she’s about family, she’s about uplifting others.”

It’s no secret that Boston is a huge fan of Parker. Boston shouted out the two-time WNBA MVP after winning the national championship at South Carolina in 2022, grabbing the mic from Holly Rowe to tell Parker hello in a moment that later went viral.

“Candace Parker, I’d like to say hi,” she said to the three-time WNBA champion, who was sitting courtside at the national title game. “I love you girl.”

And as good as Boston is on the court, Parker also knows that how you handle yourself off it is just as important. And it’s one area in which Boston has excelled, as the 2023 WNBA Rookie of the Year has never made excuses for herself.

That’s one of the reasons why Boston is such a great role model for young girls, including Parker’s daughter, Parker said.

“I think the biggest thing, you handle yourself in success as you handle yourself in failure,” she said. “My biggest thing is, everything is great when you’re winning championships. But what happens when you’re not? And what happens when people say things about you on social media? Or you don’t win the championship and you come to make excuses?

“She never has done that. And I think that’s the respect that I have for her. And she’s inspiring that next young girl that wants to be herself and wants to be like Aliyah Boston.”

Aliyah Boston is taking her talents to the studio.

After a record-breaking rookie season in the WNBA, Boston is joining Peacock as an in-studio analyst for Big Ten basketball games this season. This will be Boston’s first time in the studio after she graduated from South Carolina and was drafted first overall to the WNBA earlier this year.

She was a standout in college, winning a national championship with the Gamecocks and being named National Player of the Year in 2022. Boston was the unanimous pick for WNBA Rookie of the Year after an All-Star debut season with the Indiana Fever.

Now, the 21-year-old will join Carolyn Manno and Meghan McKeown in the booth for college basketball games. A total of 22 women’s basketball games are set to be aired on Peacock exclusively this season.

“Super excited to be a part of this team,” Boston wrote on social media. “God is good.”

Boston isn’t the first player to have a career on air while playing in the WNBA. Los Angeles Sparks forward Chiney Ogwumike and Sparks guard Lexie Brown, among others, currently work in broadcasting. Ogwumike serves as a studio analyst on NBA Today and ESPN, while Brown is an analyst for ACC Network.