Positive momentum for the growth of WNBA basketball continues: the 2022 season will feature an expanded schedule of 36 games.
This regular season, which will not feature an Olympic break, will run from May 6 through August 14th. Then, we’ll have a chance to see the new playoff format in action for the first time.
Here are some key dates to circle for the 2022 WNBA season:
- December 19: 2022 Draft Lottery
- TBD: 2022 WNBA Draft
- May 6: Opening Night
- May 31: Phoenix vs. Chicago (2021 Finals Rematch)
- July 10: 2022 WNBA All Star Game
- July 22: Phoenix vs. Seattle, potentially the final Sue Bird/Diana Taurasi Matchup
- July 26: Commissioner’s Cup Championship Game
- August 14: Final day of Regular Season
Once the draft and free agency periods are completed, we’ll have plenty of great matchups with former teammates facing off, players returning to former markets, and so much more.
Commissioner’s Cup 2022
The Commissioner’s Cup, a mid-season tournament that was implemented in 2021, will be back this year. During the stretch of games from May 6 through July 7, select matchups will be designated as Commissioner’s Cup games, and a separate column in the league standings is tracked based on which team wins these designated games.
The two teams which perform the best in these matchups will face off in a championship game on July 26th. This game does not count towards player stats or the regular season standings and solely exits to determine the winner of the Commissioner’s Cup. Players from the winning team are awarded with cash prizes as an added incentive to compete for the trophy. Last season, the Seattle Storm defeated the Connecticut Sun to take home the first ever Commissioner’s Cup.
Michael Burns
Founder of HoopSocial. Girl Dad. WNBA stan. Syracuse Orange and Charlotte Hornets fan. Sarcasm is my native tongue. You can follow me on Twitter at @mike_hoopsocial.