Difference Between WNBA and NBA

WNBA vs NBA

Basketball has been a favorite pastime, not only for the American audience, but also all over the world. Two main prominent basketball leagues, that are mostly anticipated by fans, are the NBA (National Basketball Association) and the WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association).

The NBA

The National Basketball Association is basically the oldest basketball league in existence. It was founded on the 6th of June, 1946, in New York City. It is currently comprised of 30 teams in North America, and is one of the four major professional sports leagues in the U.S.A., which also include the MLB (Major League Baseball), the NFL (National Football League), and the NHL (National Hockey League). Playoffs for the NBA start in late April, with each conference (Eastern and Western) having eight teams competing for the championship. A tournament format is followed during the playoffs. Each team competes against a rival in a best-of-seven series. Whoever wins four games advances to the next round, while the other is eliminated from the playoffs. For each conference, all but one team is eliminated from each conference in the playoffs. The two overall teams remaining are the ones who compete for the championship.

The WNBA

The Women’s National Basketball Association is basically the women counterpart of the NBA. It was founded during the year 1996, although they only started playing leagues a year later. Regular WNBA seasons start from May, with the playoffs starting by the middle of August and continuing through September. April 24, 1996, was the actual date when the WNBA was officially approved by the NBA Board of Governors. It originally started with eight teams, namely, the Charlotte Sting, Cleveland Rockers, New York Liberty, Houston Comets for the Eastern Conference, Utah Starzz, Sacramento Monarchs, Phoenix Mercury and the Los Angeles Sparks for the Western Conference. Even though the WNBA is not the first major women’s basketball league (a title held by the now abolished WBL), the WNBA is the only women’s professional basketball league to have the full backing and support of the NBA. The WNBA playoffs run with a best-of-three elimination tournament, ultimately determining the final two teams who will play for the championship. The first round of the playoffs is made up of two match-ups, in each of their respective conferences and based on seeding (1-4 and 2-3). The two winners go to the second round, with a match-up between the winners for 1-4 and 2-3. The series winners then advance to the WNBA finals.

Summary:

1. The NBA is the oldest basketball league in existence. The WNBA is the women counterpart of the NBA.

2. The NBA was founded on the 6th of June, 1946, in New York City, while the WNBA was founded during the year 1996, although only started playing in leagues a year later.

3. The NBA is comprised of 30 teams in North America, while the WNBA originally started out with eight teams.

Sharing is caring!