2023 WNBA season

The 2023 WNBA season was the 27th season of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The defending champions, the Las Vegas Aces, repeated as champions after defeating the New York Liberty 3 games to 1 in the Finals.

The regular season was expanded to 40 games per team, becoming the most games scheduled in a single WNBA season. The 2022 season saw the schedule increase to 36 games and was the previous high for the regular season. This season was also the second straight year that the playoffs used an all-series format after returning to the format in 2022. The first round used a 2–1 format, with the higher seed hosting the first two games (differing from the 1–1–1 format previously used in 2015). The semifinals and the WNBA Finals remained a best-of-five series.

Arguably the most significant change to the league this season was the enforcement of the so-called "prioritization clause" in the collective bargaining agreement between the league and its players' union. For this season, players with more than two seasons of prior WNBA service who did not report to their teams by the designated start of training camp or May 1, whichever is later, faced mandatory fines. Those who missed the start of the regular season were suspended for the season. From 2024 on, those who miss the start of training camp will be suspended for the season.

2023 WNBA draft

The Indiana Fever won the first pick in the 2023 WNBA draft in the draft lottery. This was the first time in Indiana's franchise history that they won the first pick. They were followed by the Minnesota Lynx for second, Atlanta Dream for third, and the Washington Mystics for fourth. The Mystics received the fourth pick in the lottery after trading for the Los Angeles Sparks' pick during the 2022 season. The Dream had originally held the Sparks' pick, but traded it to the Mystics prior to the 2022 WNBA draft, when they acquired the first overall pick.

Lottery picks

Media coverage

In March 2023, the WNBA announced that they and ESPN would show up to 52 possible games throughout the regular season and playoffs. The first broadcast happened on May 19, 2023, when the Phoenix Mercury visit the Los Angeles Sparks on ESPN.

As far as the United States' WNBA television schedule, it showed 10 broadcasts on ABC including the 2023 WNBA All-Star Game, 10 on ESPN, and 5 on ESPN2. The All-Star Game was aired in primetime for the first time ever, as well.

WNBA Countdown is now available throughout the regular season with at least 10 editions immediately preceding game broadcasts.

On April 20, 2023, Ion Television signed on as a multi-year broadcast partner, with a doubleheader that includes nationally televised games and regional games on Friday nights. Their first broadcast was May 26, 2023, when the Washington Mystics visited the Chicago Sky.

Transactions

Retirement

• Sue Bird publicly confirmed on June 16, 2022, that she would retire from playing professional basketball after the 2022 WNBA season. Her career ended on September 7, 2022, with the Storm's playoff loss to the Las Vegas Aces. Over her twenty-year career she won the WNBA Finals four times (2004, 2010, 2018, 2020). She was a thirteen-time WNBA All-Star, and named to the All-WNBA Team eight times, with five being first-team selections and three being second-team selections. At the time of her retirement Bird was the career leader in the WNBA in assists, and had also played in more games than any other WNBA player.
• During the 2022 season, Sylvia Fowles announced that she would retire at the end of the season. Over her fifteen-year career, she won the WNBA Finals twice (2015 & 2017) and was named Finals MVP in both victories. She was regular season MVP in 2017. She was an eight-time WNBA All-Star, and named to the All-WNBA Team eight times with three being first-team selections and five being second-team selections. Her eight All-WBA appearances are tied for fifth all-time at the time of her retirement. Fowles was the Defensive Player of the Year four times and named to the WNBA All-Defensive Team in eleven of her fifteen seasons. At the time of her retirement, she was the career leader in the WNBA in rebounds.
• Briann January returned to her home state of Washington for her final season in 2022, signing with the Seattle Storm for her final year during the free agency period. She stated, "I'm so excited to have the opportunity to come back to my home state for my final season in the W." January retired with one WNBA Championship in 2012, was a five-time WNBA All-Defensive First Team member and a two-time WNBA All-Defensive Second Team member. She was also an All-Star in 2014.
• On January 16, 2023, Maya Moore announced that she was officially retiring from basketball. Moore had not played since the 2018 season and had taken time off to focus on other initiatives. Over her eight-year career, she won the WNBA Finals four times (2011, 2013, 2015, 2017) and was named the Finals MVP in 2013. She was regular season MVP in 2014 and Rookie of the Year in 2011. She was a six-time WNBA All-Star, and named to the All-WNBA Team seven times with five being first-team selections and two being second-team selections. She was also named All-Star Game MVP three times, in 2015, 2017, and 2018.
• On August 14, 2022, Kia Vaughn announced her retirement. Over her thirteen-year WNBA career she played for five different WNBA teams and was named the most improved player in 2011.

Free agency

The free agency negotiation period began on January 21, 2023, and teams were able to officially sign players starting February 1.

Coaching changes

Regular season

All-Star Game

Standings

Notes

(#) – League Standing

x – Clinched playoff berth

e – Eliminated from postseason contention

Source: Overall standings and Commissioner's Cup Standings

Schedule

Note: Games highlighted in ██ represent Commissioner's Cup games.
All times Eastern

Statistical leaders

The following shows the leaders in each statistical category during the 2023 regular season.

Playoffs and Finals

Bold Series winner

• As of August 25, 2023

Season award winners

Player of the Week Award

Player of the Month Award

Rookie of the Month Award

Coach of the Month Award

Postseason awards

On August 30, shortly before the end of the regular season, the WNBA announced that it would adopt a "positionless" format for the All-Defensive Team, mirroring its adoption of a positionless format for the All-WNBA Team in 2022.

Coaches

Eastern Conference

Western Conference

Notes:

• Year with team does not include 2023 season.
• Records are from time at current team and are through the end of the 2022 regular season.
• Playoff appearances are from time at current team only.
• WNBA Finals and Championships do not include time with other teams.
• Coaches shown are the coaches who began the 2023 season as head coach of each team.

Notes

References