WNBA fans now know when the wait ends. The 2027 season is expected to start May 7 and wrap up no later than Oct. 24, according to league sources.

The dates were shared with league officials at meetings in Manhattan this week.

More basketball than ever

Every team will play a record 50 regular-season games next year. That is up from 44 games in 2026.

There will also be no long break in the middle of the summer. The 2026 season paused for the FIBA World Cup and the 2028 season will stop for the Summer Olympics.

The new collective bargaining agreement allows as many as 50 games in 2027 and 2028. The cap rises to 52 games starting in 2029.

The playoffs have also grown. The WNBA Finals became a best-of-seven series in 2025. The first round is best-of-three and the semifinals are best-of-five.

The 2026 season began May 8. It ended Oct. 31 when the Golden State Valkyries beat the Atlanta Dream in Game 7 of the Finals.

Search for a new commissioner

Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said the search for her replacement is still going. She announced in September that she will retire at the end of the year.

"Nothing to report, a normal process, a search firm interviewing people," Engelbert told reporters. She said she hopes a new commissioner is hired before Dec. 31.

Coaches and GMs talk shop

General managers and coaches from all 15 teams also met at the league's yearly competition committee meeting. They talked about officiating and a new replay center that will debut in 2027.

They also discussed new practice facilities opening next season. No rule changes were made. The group will meet again at the women's Final Four in the spring.