Year-round pro hoops for women has stopped being a paradox. Between the WNBA summer, the winter Unrivaled circuit, the spring Athletes Unlimited season, and the overseas leagues filling every gap, a top player can play 11 months a year without leaving the pro game. Here’s the map.
The flagship. Fifteen teams in 2026, $250M expansion fees, a media-rights deal that put the league on ABC, NBC, Prime, ION, CBS, and USA simultaneously for the first time. Our deepest coverage area.
The 3-on-3 winter league founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart. Played on a half-court, equity stakes for players, top WNBA stars choosing it over overseas contracts.
Rotating-team format — rosters reshuffle every week based on individual point totals. Pioneered the player-as-team-co-owner model. Short, intense season with surprisingly good basketball.
Where most WNBA stars play their off-season. Spain, France, Turkey, Italy, Australia, Korea, Brazil, Czech. Pay scale that makes the WNBA salary chasm look worse.
A note on hierarchy: the WNBA is our default subject. The other three circuits get coverage at a cadence proportional to their seasons (Unrivaled in winter, AU in spring, overseas year-round but spike when transfer news breaks).