The 2022 WNBA season was the 26th season of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The Chicago Sky were the defending champions.
The WNBA's second Commissioner's Cup took place during the regular season, with the Las Vegas Aces winning over the Sky. In the playoffs, the Aces were the first seed and won the Finals over the Connecticut Sun.
The regular season was expanded to 36 games per team, is the most games scheduled in a single WNBA season. A 36-game season was originally scheduled for 2020, but the plan was scrapped due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This season also marked the return of an all-series playoffs, which was last used in 2015, instead of the prior schedule of two rounds of single-elimination games and byes for the higher-seeded teams. The first-round series used a 2–1 format, with the higher seed hosting the first two games (differing from the 1–1–1 format used up to 2015). The semifinals and finals remained best-of-five series. The playoffs began on August 17 and concluded on September 18.
In May 2022, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced that during this upcoming season, the league would honor the Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner with a "BG42" floor decal in a notable spot on the court of all 12 teams. The Mercury center has been detained in Russia since February 2022 after customs officials said they found hashish oil in her luggage at an airport. The "BG42" floor decal was also prominently found on the Mercury's parent team, the Phoenix Suns, during the rest of the year after she was detained in Russia.
2022 WNBA draft
The Washington Mystics won the first pick in the 2022 WNBA draft in the draft lottery. They were followed by the Indiana Fever for second, Atlanta Dream for third, and Los Angeles Sparks for fourth. The Sparks had traded their pick to the Dallas Wings before the lottery, who subsequently sent the pick to the Fever in a trade that helped Dallas secure Teaira McCowan. As part of a three-team trade, Washington and Atlanta swapped lottery picks, resulting in each team receiving 2022's third and first picks, respectively. The Fever ended up with four top-10 picks, and seven overall.
Lottery picks
Media coverage
In March 2022, the league announced plans to feature the broadcasts of nine regular season games on ABC, five on ESPN, and ten on ESPN2—totaling 25 games, including the 2022 WNBA All-Star Game. The league also revealed that those same channels will air the entire 2022 postseason, which could consist of as many as 27 games.
The remaining national broadcast schedule was released in April and May 2022—including two regular season games on CBS and 38 on CBS Sports Network, 46 on NBA TV, 16 on Amazon Prime Video, 20 on Facebook Watch, and 12 on Twitter. Prime Video also streamed the 2022 WNBA Commissioner's Cup Final.
Transactions
The free agency negotiation period started on January 15, while players could sign to a team as soon as February 1.
Coaching changes
Regular season
All-Star Game
Standings
Notes
- (#) – League Standing
- x – Clinched playoff berth
- e – Eliminated from playoff 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 2022 regular season through games played on August 14, 2022.
Playoffs and Finals
Bold Series winner
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
Coaches
Eastern Conference
Western Conference
Notes:
- Year with team does not include 2022 season.
- Records are from time at current team and are through the end of the 2021 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 2022 season as head coach of each team.
Notes
References
