Basketball vs Creator Basketball (NBA Creator Cup) — Same Game, Different Rules

The WNBA uses a women's official-size basketball (Size 6), which is smaller and lighter than the men's Size 7 ball used by the NBA.

Ball: NBA regulation Spalding/Wilson size-7 basketball; Uniform: creator team jersey (numbered, named by creator handle); standard NBA-approved sneakers; Mouthguard: optional

The WNBA plays on a regulation NBA-size court, since league franchises share arenas with NBA teams and other tenants.

NBA-spec hardwood court: 28.65 m × 15.24 m (94 × 50 ft); 3-point line at 7.24 m (NBA distance); Standard NBA-sized hoops: 3.05 m (10 ft) rim height; Creator Cup events typically held at NBA arenas during off-season weeks (Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York rotations)

Each WNBA game is officiated by a crew of three referees: Roster size: Each WNBA team's regular-season roster is capped by the collective bargaining agreement; teams typically dress 12 active players for each game.; Players on the court: 5 players per team are on the court simultaneously, organiz...

5-on-5 format (also 3-on-3 sub-events for shorter game formats); Roster: 6-8 players per team; creator-led teams typically include 1-2 former pro/college players in supporting roles; Officials: 3-person NBA referee crew per game; replay center support

A WNBA game consists of four 10-minute quarters, for a total of 40 minutes of regulation play. This is a key structural difference from the NBA's 12-minute quarters and aligns the WNBA more closely with FIBA international rules timing.

4 quarters × 8 minutes (32 minutes total) — shorter than NBA's 4×12-min format; Half-time + commercial breaks for broadcast; OT: 3-minute periods

The top finishing teams from the regular season qualify for the WNBA Playoffs, an elimination tournament conducted in successive rounds of best-of series. The tournament culminates in the WNBA Finals, which determines the league champion.

Highest score after 4 quarters wins; bonus highlight-possession points incorporated; Tournament format: round-robin pool play → knockout bracket → championship game; Creator Cup champion belt + bracket-winner prize purse + NBA-merchandise endorsements

A personal foul is illegal physical contact by a player against an opponent. Personal fouls include holding, pushing, charging, blocking, hand-checking, and illegal screens.

Standard NBA foul + violation taxonomy: personal fouls, technical fouls, flagrant fouls, traveling, double-dribble, etc.; Creator-Cup-specific: social-media-rules violation (e.g., publishing internal team strategy on social media pre-game) → team disqualification or fine; Unsportsmanlike conduct:...

Each team is entitled to one Coach's Challenge per game. A coach may challenge a personal foul called on her team, a goaltending or basket interference call, or an out-of-bounds call.

Creator Cup follows NBA injury-prevention + safety standards. Pre-event medical screening for all participants (athletic + cardiac clearance).