WNBA eyeing IMG Academy in Florida for season
The WNBA is working on a tentative proposal to play a 22-game season at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, according to a report from ESPN.
The Associated Press reported Wednesday that Las Vegas was considered a possible location for the 2020 season.
The NBA also considered playing in Las Vegas, but approved a plan Thursday to begin July 31 in Orlando, Florida.
The WNBA’s players have not yet agreed to the proposal, according to ESPN. Playoffs would end in October.
IMG Academy is home to some of the nation’s top prep basketball teams, and its campus features four first class basketball courts. The AP reported that the league wants to contest in one site like the NBA, which is finishing its season at the Walt Disney World Resort.
WNBA teams typically played 34 games, but were set to play 36 this year as part of a new collective bargaining agreement. The league was also set to introduce this year its first-ever Commissioner’s Cup, an in-season event with a separate championship.
The Aces bolster one of the best rosters in the WNBA, and reached the league’s semifinals last year — falling 3-1 to the Washington Mystics. They were a +280 favorite to win the WNBA championship, according to William Hill.
Contact reporter Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.