Basketball Wives LA was revealed on June 20, 2011, with Kimsha Artest, Gloria Govan, Laura Govan, Jackie Christie and Imani Showalter as the cast. Malaysia Pargo and Draya Michele were announced as part of the cast in the series' July 2011 press release. Kimsha Artest stopped showing up for filming because she did not agree with the "shenanigans and drama", however, she did make another appearance in the season 1 finale. Tanya Williams was to be the eighth official "wife" but left the series after two episodes. The series premiered on August 29, 2011, to 1.81 million viewers. The second season debuted on September 10, 2012, with the premiere attracting 1.82 million viewers. Imani Showalter did not return because she felt that reality television wasn't for her, and she moved back to New York. Brooke Bailey joined as a main cast member, with Adiz "Bambi" Benson joining in a recurring role. Executive producer of the series, Shaunie O'Neal, announced that the series would be receiving a major update for the third season. Filming began in August 2013, with new members added to the mix. Gloria Govan Barnes and her sister Laura Govan confirmed their exit with their own series possibly in the works. Brooke Bailey confirmed via Twitter that she would also not return. Season 3 premiered on February 17, 2014, with British Williams, Brandi Maxiell, and Sundy Carter joining the cast. The third-season premiere acquired 1.95 million viewers making it the highest rated premiere for the series and a 1.0 in the adults 18–49 rating demographic. This season is also the first and only of the series to reach over 2 million viewers for six consecutive weeks. The fourth season of Basketball Wives LA began production in November 2014 & wrapped in early April 2015. The season premiered on July 12, 2015, moving from Monday to Sunday nights. The fourth-season premiere acquired 1.90 million viewers and a 1.0 in the adults 18–49 rating demographic. Mehgan James of Bad Girls Club and executive producer Shaunie O'Neal, joined the cast as main cast members. Angel Brinks, Patrice Curry, and Tami Roman joined the cast as recurring cast members. On September 23, 2015, Basketball Wives LA was renewed for a fifth season by VH1. Filming began in January 2016 & wrapped in early June. VH1 announced that the fifth season will premiere on July 17, 2016. The fifth-season premiere acquired 1.05 million viewers and a 0.5 in the adults 18–49 rating demographic, making it the lowest rated premiere for the series. Draya Michele and Mehgan James departed from the show. Jackie Christie, Malaysia Pargo, Brandi Maxiell, Shaunie O' Neal, Tami Roman and Angel Brinks returned for the season. LaTosha Duffey and Angel Love joined the main cast.
