The WNBA will expand its Finals next year to a best-of-seven format, the league announced Thursday.
The league currently has a best-of-five semifinals and finals in its playoffs with a best-of-three first round.
“This will give our fans a championship series format that they are accustomed to seeing in other sports,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said before Game 1 of the Finals.
Engelbert said the better seeded teams will host the first, second, fifth and seventh games. The league will also be changing the opening round to give the lower seeded team at least one home game. The higher seeded team will host Game 1 and 3 if it’s necessary. Currently, the first round has the first two games at the better seeded team. All four of the first round series were sweeps this year.
The commissioner said that with the league using charter flights all season, including the playoffs, it makes it easier to travel back and forth between cities.
Engelbert also said the league’s draft lottery will be held on Nov. 17 and that the expansion Golden State Valkyries team will have the No. 5 pick.
Engelbert also addressed the rising number of attacks that players have dealt with on social media, saying that there’s no place for it and that the league will work with the players’ union to figure out…
