The WNBA currently features 13 teams competing in its league. In 2026, two new teams will join: one from Portland and one from Toronto, Canada. The WNBA conducts three draft rounds, meaning only 45 female players will be selected. Now that’s only 15 players fewer than the NBA draft. However, you are likelier to stick around in the NBA than in the WNBA.
Here’s why
The NBA has a G League that allows teams to send drafted players who are not yet ready to contribute to the main roster for further development. While playing in the G League, these players can be called up to the NBA at any time. In contrast, the WNBA does not have a similar option. If the WNBA determines that a player is not ready or if a female player becomes involved in basketball politics, she has no choice but to go overseas to continue her career.
Then we must state the obvious: “It’s just more jobs in the NBA. The NBA has 450 players in its league, while the WNBA has 12 players on each roster, with some only carrying 11 players, with 13 but soon to be 15 teams.
This year, only six of the 38 players drafted into the WNBA are currently starting. Fourteen players are coming off the bench, while twelve have been waived. Additionally, players like Ajsa Sivka and Juste Joctye are still overseas, and the rest are dealing with injuries.
I didn’t mention the “Four-Year Rule,” which states that a player must be at least 22 years old or have graduated from a four-year college to be eligible for the draft. While playing in the WNBA is possible, achieving this goal is challenging.