| 2021 WNBA season | |
|---|---|
 Official logo used for the WNBA's 25th season | |
| League | Women's National Basketball Association |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Duration | May 14 – September 19, 2021 |
| Number of games | 32 |
| Number of teams | 12 |
| Total attendance | 434,906 |
| Average attendance | 2,636 |
| TV partner(s) | ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, CBS, CBSSN, NBA TV |
| Top draft pick | Charli Collier |
| Picked by | Dallas Wings |
| Season MVP |  / Jonquel Jones (Connecticut) |
| Finals champions | Chicago Sky |
| Runners-up | Phoenix Mercury |
| Finals MVP |  Kahleah Copper (Chicago) |
The 2021 WNBA season was the 25th season of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The Seattle Storm were the defending champions. In the playoffs, the Chicago Sky won in four games over the Phoenix Mercury. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, teams played a 32-game season (rather than the 36 games agreed to in the original 2020 season schedule) that included mini two-game series to reduce travel.[1][2] The regular season ran from May 14 to September 19, with a break from July 12 to August 11 for the Olympic Games.[2]
This season also marked the launch of the WNBA Commissioner's Cup, which had been intended to start in the 2020 season but was delayed due to COVID-19. The first home game and first away game for each team against each of its conference opponents doubled as Cup games; all such games were played before the league took its Olympic break. The Cup final, officially called the Commissioner's Cup Championship Game, featured the conference leaders in the Cup standings and was held on August 12, three days before the rest of the league resumed play, at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona. A prize pool of $500,000 was provided for the Cup, with players on the winning team guaranteed a minimum bonus of $30,000 and those of the losing team guaranteed $10,000, and the championship game MVP receiving an extra $5,000.[3] The Seattle Storm defeated the Connecticut Sun 79-57 to win the inaugural cup. Breanna Stewart was named MVP of the game.
The season had 100 games broadcast on national networks, including 25 across ABC and ESPN networks, 40 on CBS networks, and 35 on NBA TV.[4] The remainder of games were broadcast on local networks and the WNBA's League Pass service; several games were also streamed on Twitter, Amazon Prime,[5] and Oculus.[4]
This season saw Wilson take over as the league's ball supplier. Spalding previously held the contract for the league's first 24 seasons.[6]
- ^ Feinberg, Doug (April 13, 2021). "WNBA to play 32-game schedule, has month break for Olympics". AP NEWS. Archived from the original on May 4, 2021. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
- ^ a b Voepel, Mechelle (April 13, 2021). "WNBA announces schedule for its 25th season". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on April 13, 2021. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
- ^ "WNBA Announces Innovative Blueprint, New Partnerships and Significant Prize Pool for Inaugural Commissioner's Cup" (Press release). WNBA. May 12, 2021. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
- ^ a b Ward, Zack (May 3, 2021). "WNBA to have 100 nationally televised games". Swish Appeal. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
- ^ "Amazon and WNBA strike multi-year streaming deal". May 12, 2021.
- ^ Chick, John (May 13, 2020). "Wilson to replace Spalding as official NBA, WNBA game ball". thescore.com. Score Media Ventures. Retrieved June 10, 2021.