The WNBA Finals will expand to best-of-seven next season; Vince Carter joins TNT; Cam Newton joins First Take; and more.
WNBA Finals to expand to best-of-seven next season
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced Thursday the WNBA Finals will move from a 5-game to a 7-game series beginning in 2025. The series will alternate between home arenas in a 2-2-1-1-1 format, in the same fashion as the NBA playoffs.
It was also announced that the first round will shift to a 1-1-1 format, ensuring that every team that qualifies for the playoffs gets to host at least one playoff game. (The league previously used a 1-1-1 best-of-three format for the first and second rounds from 2010-16.) The league will also increase the number of regular season games from 40 to 44 beginning next season.
The ESPN family of networks and ABC have exclusively televised the WNBA Finals since 2003. Under the new rights agreement that begins with the 2026 WNBA season, the WNBA Finals will rotate between the platforms of Comcast (NBC, USA Network, and Peacock), Disney (ABC, ESPN networks), and Amazon (Prime Video).
The WNBA Finals — originally known as the WNBA Championship — began as a single-elimination event in 1997, expanded to best-of-three from 1998-2004 and has been best-of-five since 2005. Assuming no changes to the semifinal round, the WNBA Playoffs will now consist of a maximum 29 games.
Vince Carter to join TNT as NBA analyst
8-time NBA All-Star Vince Carter is joining TNT Sports for what will likely be the network’s final season of NBA coverage, it was announced Thursday. Carter will join the TNT Tuesday studio crew of Adam Lefkoe, Shaquille O’Neal, and Candace Parker as well as make appearances on NBA TV. Carter previously made guest appearances on TNT and NBA TV throughout the 2023-24 season.
Following his retirement from the NBA in 2020, Carter joined ESPN as an NBA and college basketball analyst, in addition to hosting Vince’s Places, an NBA show for ESPN+ produced by Omaha Productions. Carter’s appearances became more limited throughout the 2022-23 season, until he was eventually included in one of ESPN’s rounds of talent layoffs in the summer of 2023. Carter, who has made guest appearancs on TNT in the past, worked part-time as a game analyst for Brooklyn Nets games on YES Network during the most recent season, a role that it was not immediately clear if he will continue.
Not mentioned in TNT’s announcement is Jamal Crawford, whom Carter appears to be replacing, at least in the studio. Crawford has worked the Tuesday studio since joining TNT Sports in 2022, and has also called games for NBA TV.
TNT opens its what is widely expected to be its final season of NBA coverage on Tuesday, October 22 with an opening-night doubleheader featuring Knicks-Celtics and Timberwolves-Lakers.
Cam Newton joins First Take
Former NFL MVP Cam Newton has signed a contract with ESPN to appear regularly on First Take, the network announced Thursday. His debut will be this Friday, October 11, at a road show at Tennessee State University.
Newton joins a growing list of personalities to join the Stephen A. Smith-fronted debate show in the last two years, including Shannon Sharpe and Chris Russo.
The 2010 Heisman Trophy winner played quarterback for 11 seasons, mostly with the Carolina Panthers. Newton has not done any notable TV work as of yet, but has hosted two podcast series.
