The WNBA is the only major professional basketball league that plays in the summer not by tradition, but out of necessity—reflecting how little money and fanfare women get to play the game.
While the NBA, EuroLeague, and most international competitions dominate the winter months, the WNBA tips off in May and wraps up by early fall.
But this isn’t just a scheduling quirk, WNBA players – even the league’s biggest stars – have historically earned a fraction of what their male counterparts make.
To make a livable income, many players spend their winters playing overseas, where salaries are often higher.
This question gets to the heart of the WNBA’s origins, its financial realities, and the changing landscape of women’s professional sports.
So how did this summer schedule historically come to be?
The origin of the WNBA’s season
When the WNBA was founded in 1997, it was stepping into an already crowded sports ecosystem.
The NBA and NHL dominate the winter months and Major League Baseball controls the summer.
The league’s solution to breaking through was to find a scheduling window that would minimize direct competition.
The period between the end of the NBA Finals in June and the start of the NFL season in September was an empty space.
Thus, the WNBA found its niche by playing its games in the summer.
Teams, many of which shared arenas with NBA franchises, also needed an off-season period to ensure they had access to the most prominent venues in cities like New York and LA.
Summer gave the league a window to grow without constant competition from major men’s sports.
It wasn’t just about avoiding the NBA: it was about owning a portion of the calendar.
The league launched its first season with great fanfare, and many teams found a passionate following.
The summer schedule also made sense for the players, many of whom were used to balancing their domestic commitments with overseas opportunities.
Another reason for the summer season was rooted in economics.
While the WNBA offered female basketball players a platform, the pay was – and still is – significantly lower than the NBA.
To make ends meet, many players supplemented their income by playing overseas in winter, during the WNBA off-season.
Countries like Russia, Turkey, and Spain offer higher-paying women’s leagues than the WNBA.
How does overseas play present challenges for the WNBA?
This year-round commitment to the sport became a norm for many top players, but it created tension, too.
The league sought a solution to the ongoing issue of players missing training camps or arriving late to the season, often after overseas stints.
The league’s response came in the form of the 2020 collective bargaining agreement (CBA), which introduced the “prioritization” rule.
The rule mandates that WNBA players must prioritise the league, reporting to training camp on time or risking suspension.
This came from the need for players to be present from the start of the season to ensure the league could grow its brand and maintain competitive integrity.
Gabby Williams, Seattle Storm star, and french-pro player, said:
“The W thinks that they don’t have to pay us more in order for us to be here.
“And I think I didn’t express that when I first talked about prioritization.
“Our commissioner talked about us being able to make $700,000.
“That’s actually not true at all. There’s not one player who makes that.
“And we were promised team marketing agreements and league marketing agreements, but they’ve fallen quite short, so it’s still not enough for us international players to want to stay here.”
How has the WNBA evolved into a full-time league?
Though controversial, prioritisation marked a major shift, signaling the WNBA’s push for full player commitment – a shift essential to the leagues growth.
It elevates the WNBA to the same level of professionalism seen in major male sports leagues.
While the summer schedule came from logistical necessity and financial realities, it also helped establish a unique identity.
Today, the summer timing still works in the WNBA’s favor.
The close timing between the NCAA season’s end in early April and the WNBA’s start allows fans who watched March Madness to follow their favorite college stars straight into the pros—an advantage few professional leagues have.
The draft takes place in mid-April, followed by WNBA training camps starting at the end of the month, creating a seamless transition from one high-profile basketball season to the next.
With stars like Caitlin Clark breaking record left and right and old college teammates like Hailey Van Lith and Angel Reese being reunited at a professional level, that connection is stronger than ever.
As media coverage and viewership rises—1.2 million viewers for the full 2024 season, a 155% increase from 2023, the most-watched full season on ESPN platforms ever—the summer calendar remains an essential part of the league’s DNA.
For now, that means womens’ basketball fans have a whole season of hoops to look forward to.
