Portland was awarded the 15th WNBA franchise and will begin play in 2026.
The WNBA is growing at a rapid rate -- both in popularity and the size of the league.
From Caitlin Clark's ascendance and the Las Vegas Aces' bid for a championship three-peat to the U.S. women's basketball team's eighth straight Olympic gold medal, it's been a banner year in women's basketball. The WNBA is capitalizing on the skyrocketing interest and adding more teams to the rising league.
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Here's a breakdown of the current WNBA landscape and how it could look different in the years to come.
How many WNBA teams are there?
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There are currently 12 WNBA teams broken into two conferences.
Eastern Conference
- Atlanta Dream
- Connecticut Sun
- Chicago Sky
- Indiana Fever
- New York Liberty
- Washington Mystics
Western Conference
- Dallas Wings
- Los Angeles Sparks
- Las Vegas Aces
- Minnesota Lynx
- Phoenix Mercury
- Seattle Storm
When is the WNBA expanding?
The WNBA will be up to 15 teams in 2026 with three new expansion franchises entering the mix.
The Golden State Valkyries will enter the fold in 2025 as the league's 13th franchise. It marks the first time a new team will join the league since the Atlanta Dream first took the floor in 2008.
The league will then add two more teams in 2026. A Toronto team will become the WNBA's first non-U.S. team, while Portland will get back in the mix more than 20 years after the Portland Fire folded.
When will the WNBA add a 16th team?
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert told ESPN that the league is "on track" to add a 16th team in 2027 or 2028.
How many original WNBA franchises are still playing?
While the WNBA continues to expand, four current teams have been in the league from the very beginning.
The New York Liberty, Los Angeles Sparks and Phoenix Mercury were among the eight original WNBA franchises when the league was founded in 1997.
The Las Vegas Aces also trace back to the original WNBA. The franchise was originally the Utah Starzz from 1997-2002 before becoming the San Antonio Silver Stars. The team was in San Antonio until 2017 (Silver Stars from 2003-2013 and Stars from 2014-2017) before it moved to Las Vegas to become the Aces.
