NEW YORK – The WNBA will move to a best-of-seven series for the WNBA Finals starting next season, commissioner Cathy Engelbert said Thursday.

Speaking to the media before Game 1 of the final between the New York Liberty and the Minnesota Lynx, Engelbert also said the league would switch to a 1-1-1 system in the best-of-three first round , in which all playoff teams would have at least one home game and the regular season would be expanded to 44 games.

The WNBA has had a best-of-five format for the Finals since 2005. From 1998 to 2004 it was a best-of-three series. The championship in the first WNBA season in 1997 was decided in a single-game format.

The best-of-seven series will have a 2-2-1-1-1 structure, where the higher seed would host Games 1, 2, 5 and 7 and his opponent would host Games 3, 4 and 6 would.

“This gives our fans a championship series format that they are used to in other sports,” said Engelbert.

The WNBA semifinals will continue to be a best-of-five format.

The first round has changed over the years. The most recent lineup included the first two games of a best-of-three series played at the higher seed’s home stadium and a possible third game at the lower seed’s home stadium. But this format doesn’t guarantee that every playoff team will have at least one home game – the 1-1-1 scenario will do that.

Engelbert said the WNBA’s move to charter flights for all games starting this season will help with the playoff format changes.

She also announced that the expansion draft for the league’s 13th ranked team, the Golden State Valkyries, will air on ESPN on November 17 at 5 p.m. It has also been confirmed that the Valkyries will take fifth place in each round of the Standard draft in April. The Valkyries, who announced their new coach Natalie Nakase on Thursday, will begin play next season.

The WNBA’s regular season has increased to 40 games in 2023. The addition of four more regular season games and the possibility of longer playoffs means the league will likely finish its season, which typically begins in mid-May, later in October.

The league must also schedule international events every two years, including the Summer Olympics and the FIBA ​​Women’s Basketball World Cup. Neither event will take place next season, so Engelbert said it was the perfect time to institute the playoff changes that have been discussed in recent years.

“It’s a constant balancing of the schedule,” Engelbert said. “The league’s growth and increased demand for WNBA basketball made this the ideal time…to provide fans more opportunities to see the best players in the world compete at the highest level.”

The WNBA has two additional expansion teams that will begin play in 2026: Toronto and Portland. Engelbert reiterated Thursday that the league expects to add another team by 2028 at the latest. Sixteen teams would be as many as the WNBA has in its history.

With a celebrated draft class this season, led by Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever and Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky, the WNBA has received increased viewership and media coverage. However, this also brought with it some challenges, including an increase in negative comments on social media.

Last month, Engelbert was criticized by some players and the players’ association for her comments on CNBC, which they said did not adequately address the specific racist, misogynistic and homophobic tone of some of the dialogue surrounding the WNBA. Engelbert then wrote a letter apologizing to the players and on Thursday reiterated the league’s commitment to protecting players as much as possible.

“The hate speech and threats against our players are worrying,” said Engelbert. “This type of behavior is not representative of the character or fan base of the WNBA. As a league, we agree that we condemn racism and all forms of hate. The WNBA is one of the most comprehensive and diverse professional sports leagues in the world. And.” We will continue to advocate for these values.”

When asked what specifically the WNBA could do regarding social media, Engelbert said the league would continue to work with the players’ association.

“We’re going to approach this in a multidimensional way,” she said. “Use technology, prioritize mental health, strengthen physical security and increase surveillance. We know there is still work to be done and as a league we are committed to listening to players and other stakeholders.”

“There is no place for that in sport. I think we’ve met with a few technology providers. … There are some technology solutions that we could use. We must continue to be a voice against it and condemn it. And take every opportunity to support our players who have been struggling with this for much longer than this year.”