Breaking down some numbers around the 2021 WNBA schedule

The WNBA (finally) announced its 2021 regular season schedule, amid hints and leaks of a mid-May start.

Now we know the season will officially tip off on Friday, May 14, and it will wrap up on September 19, with 10 of the 12 teams facing off throughout the day. The WNBA announced an official Olympic break from July 15 through August 11, which is especially notable considering the last game prior to that break is on July 11, and scheduled games don't resume until August 15, leaving space on both ends for potential rescheduled games, an All Star game, and/or a Commissioner's Cup Game.

With that in mind, let's break down how the numbers around this schedule stack up in history. And I'll throw in a few pretty visuals along the way.

192 games over 79 days

April 14, 2021

Quantifying the movement behind 2021 WNBA Free Agency (so far!)

With the NCAA DI WBB Tournament wrapped up, and the WNBA Draft later this week, it's time to dive back in to this upcoming WNBA season and what we've seen in free agency so far.

At the end of last March I broke down some numbers relative to 2020 Free Agency, and I want to do some of the same here, with an extended look at how teams are changing and how the movement we've seen since the new CBA took effect last year compares to player movement in years past.

How many players are moving?

From February 10 to the May 26 initial roster cutdown date last year, 34 players changed teams via free agency and trades. From February 1 up to April 11 of this year, 33 players have moved to a new team.

April 12, 2021

Welcome to the Across the Timeline newsletter

Across the Timeline was started in 2018 immediately following the Arike Ogunbowale heroics to get Notre Dame their 2nd NCAA championship in women's basketball. The goal then was to create a space dedicated to the history of women's basketball, and that goal remains. By expanding what data is available and how and by digging in to the stories of the players, the coaches, and the games, we can better connect the game today to its storied past.

What can I expect?

For an idea of the type of content to come, check out some of the past profiles, statistical breakdowns, and more in the full archive. Some highlights: