The creation of the WNBA was officially approved by the NBA Board of Governors on April 24, 1996,[3] and announced at a press conference with Rebecca Lobo, Lisa Leslie, and Sheryl Swoopes in attendance.

[5] On the heels of a much-publicized gold medal run by the 1996 USA Basketball Women's National Team at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games, the WNBA then began its first season on June 21, 1997.

Led by the "Big Three" of Sheryl Swoopes, Tina Thompson, and Cynthia Cooper (who won the Finals MVP for all four championships), the Comets dominated every team in the league.

[23] Looking to repeat in 2002, the Sparks again made a strong run toward the postseason, going 25–7 in the regular season under head coach Michael Cooper, who formerly played for the Los Angeles Lakers.

On February 15, 2005, NBA commissioner David Stern announced that Donna Orender, who had been serving as the senior vice president of the PGA Tour and who had played for several teams in the now-defunct Women's Pro Basketball League, would be Ackerman's successor as of April 2005[citation needed].

Much like the early Houston Comets championship teams, the Phoenix Mercury had risen to prominence led by their own "Big Three" of Cappie Pondexter, Diana Taurasi, and Penny Taylor.

[citation needed] During the 2008 regular season, the first-ever outdoor professional basketball game in North America was played at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City.

[citation needed] The league announced it would seek new owners to relocate the team to the San Francisco Bay Area; however, no ownership was found and a dispersal draft was held on December 14, 2009.

Players like Candace Parker of the Sparks, Maya Moore of the Lynx, DeWanna Bonner of the Mercury, Angel McCoughtry of the Dream, Sylvia Fowles of the Sky, Tina Charles of the Sun, and Liz Cambage of the Shock brought a new level of excitement to the game, adding talent to the teams of young veterans such as Diana Taurasi, Seimone Augustus and Cappie Pondexter.

The much-publicized 2013 WNBA draft produced Baylor University star Brittney Griner, Delaware's Elena Delle Donne, and Notre Dame All American Skylar Diggins (now Diggins-Smith) as the top three picks.

The retirement of legends Katie Smith, Tina Thompson, Ticha Penicheiro, and Sheryl Swoopes coupled with the arrival of highly touted rookies and new rule changes effectively marked the end of an era for the WNBA and the ushering of another.

[citation needed] On the court, the Minnesota Lynx won their second title in three years, defeating the Atlanta Dream in the 2013 Finals and becoming the first team to sweep the playoff series since the Seattle Storm.

The promotion of Griner, Delle Donne, and Diggins helped boost television ratings for the league by 28 percent, and half of the teams ended the season profitable.

[citation needed] Two more franchise relocations happened in the following years, as the Tulsa Shock moved in 2016 to the Dallas–Fort Worth region in Texas and were renamed the Dallas Wings,[41] and in 2018 the San Antonio Stars went to Nevada, becoming the Las Vegas Aces.

In June 2020, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced plans for the league to have a 22-game regular season, and a traditional playoff format, to be held exclusively at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.

[47] On March 15, 2021, an announcement was made that the WNBA would introduce a ceremonial logo, basketball, and uniforms as part of its 25th anniversary celebratory campaign called "Count It".

[51] On September 26, 2023, The Athletic reported that the co-owners of the Golden State Warriors, Joe Lacob and Peter Guber, were finalizing an agreement to start an expansion team in San Francisco.

As of the league's 2024 season, the Las Vegas Aces (formerly the Utah Starzz and San Antonio (Silver) Stars), Los Angeles Sparks, New York Liberty, and Phoenix Mercury are the only remaining franchises that were founded in 1997.

During years in which the Summer Olympics are held, the WNBA takes a month off in the middle of the season to allow players to practice and compete with their respective national teams.

[105][106] By the 2024 season, the WNBA has seen their revenue grow rapidly through a variety of avenues, such as through raising capital,[107] re-negotiating their media rights deal,[108] expansion fees,[108] increased ticket sales,[109] and establishing new strategic partnerships and sponsorships with organizations.

Nola Agha, professor of sports management at the University of San Francisco, claims that it is commonplace for leagues to declare losses via tax loopholes or accounting practices "even if they're cash-flow positive and even if the asset value of the business is increasing every year."

[115] Before the Lynx July 9, 2016, home game, the team held a press conference where the four co-captains wore black t-shirts with the message ""Change starts with us - Justice and Accountability" on the front and the names of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling on the back.

[116] Shortly after the George Floyd protests began, the league and union decided in 2020 to put Black Lives Matter and Say Her Name slogans on warmup gear and opening weekend uniforms.

[125] The deal would allow the Boost Mobile logo to be placed on eleven of the 12 teams' jerseys (excluding San Antonio) in addition to branding on the courts and in arenas.

[144] With increased media attention on women's basketball, Commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced in May 2024 that the league would allocate $50 million over two years to fund charter flights for players.

[150] As of 2022, there are 10 players who have signed PMAs: Diamond DeShields, Dearica Hamby, Napheesa Collier, DiDi Richards, Arike Ogunbowale, Kahleah Copper, Ariel Atkins, Jasmine Thomas, Kelsey Mitchell, and Izzy Harrison.

Some argue that the NBA could be working harder to bridge that gap between organizations and either share more revenue from deals or help the WNBA create their own more profitable agreements.

[163] Sports analysts cite intense interest in the incoming 2024 rookie class, led by number one draft pick Caitlin Clark, as the reason for the dramatic increases in attendance, dubbing her ability to drive up ticket sales "Clarkonomics".

[174] On April 22, 2019, CBS Sports Network reached a multi-year deal to televise 40 regular-season weekend and primetime WNBA games, beginning in the 2019 season.

The agreement also grants local rights to selected Ion O&Os for games involving regional WNBA teams, which stations may carry in early- or late-evening broadcast windows depending on tip-off time.