Longtime WNBA Star Has Major Problem With League's Schedule
The WNBA has experienced impressive growth in recent years, but with that development comes other issues that must be worked out.
In 2025, the league expanded its schedule from 40 to 44 games but did not change its overall calendar, meaning the extra contests had to be squeezed in. This has resulted in fewer rest days for teams, which can have an adverse impact on player health.
With the WNBA experiencing injuries to high-profile players and the league's CBA negotiations ongoing, former WNBA star turned ESPN broadcaster Rebecca Lobo is sounding the alarm.
"A priority of @TheWNBPA in the new CBA has to be addressing the condensed schedule. This season there are too many games in too short a period of time," Lobo tweeted Saturday night, sharing research from Garrett Gastfield, a sports content researcher at ESPN.
Per Gastfield's work, the average number of days in between WNBA games in 2021 was 4.03. That figure dropped noticeable to 2.81 in 2022 and was 2.88 in 2023.
After a slight uptick in rest in 2024--games every 3.23 days--the number is down 2.70 this season.
A priority of @TheWNBPA in the new CBA has to be addressing the condensed schedule. This season there are too many games in too short a period of time. (Research: Garrett Gastfield)
— Rebecca Lobo (@RebeccaLobo) July 27, 2025
AVERAGE # OF DAYS BETWEEN GAMES
2021: 4.03
2022: 2.81
2023: 2.88
2024: 3.23
2025: 2.70
In 2021, the WNBA played only 32 regular season games, which naturally means more time off. That number increased to 36 in 2022 before moving to 40 in 2023.
Now, with 44 games, that means more revenue opportunities and exposure for the league, but it comes with a potentially concerning tradeoff.
“If [WNBA commissioner] Cathy [Engelbert] keeps adding more games in this short stint of time, the injuries are going to continue to go up,” New York Liberty guard Natasha Cloud said last month. “When you talk about a big business and the overall protection of your investment, we are the investment as players. Your job is to protect us.”
How the league and its players association negotiate a balance on this issue will be a fascinating aspect of CBA negotiations.