After a lengthy 17-month negotiation period for the WNBA Collective Bargaining Agreement, which included a marathon session towards the end, there’s finally been a verbal agreement between the WNBA and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association. This development had both parties celebrating early Wednesday morning, marking the beginning of a busy offseason.
General managers, players, and agents will have a hectic month ahead as they gear up for the 2026 season, slated to start on May 8th.
However, for the agreement to be officially in place, it still needs to be ratified by the players and the WNBA Board of Governors. Legal teams are expected to take several weeks finalizing the formalities. Meanwhile, the offseason has been on hold since the league operations were paused in January, and this suspension is anticipated to continue until ratification occurs.
Once that’s all settled, things are likely to get pretty chaotic.
First things first: Expansion Draft
Part of the upcoming CBA discussions will involve the rules surrounding the expansion draft for new teams in Toronto and Portland. General managers are currently getting up to speed on the specifics of how the expansion draft will unfold. Prior to the draft, teams will need to declare a list of players they wish to protect from being picked.
Additionally, the WNBA plans to avoid scheduling any events during the NCAA Final Four from April 3-5, meaning the offseason could kick off on April 6th.
Qualifying offer period begins
Following the completion of the expansion draft, the initial phase of free agency will start. In the past, teams have had 10 days to make qualifying offers to restricted free agents or to designate core players. It’s still a bit uncertain what the new CBA will set regarding core designations.
The qualifying offer period for 2026 is expected to be cut down to just a few days because of the condensed schedule.
Free agency officially begins
Over 100 players, which is about two-thirds of the league, are looking to negotiate new contracts. Some notable names include A’ja Wilson, Napheesa Collier, and the Liberty’s Brianna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu.
Ordinarily, free agency kicks off on February 1st and can stretch over several weeks. For instance, Stewart publicly announced he would return to Brooklyn to help defend the Liberty’s 2024 title, but he didn’t sign until March 29, 2025. This year, however, negotiations are expected to speed up, with some analysts suggesting a shift towards players re-signing short-term with their previous teams.
WNBA Draft
The WNBA Draft is customarily held roughly a week after the conclusion of the NCAA Tournament. Set for April 13th in 2026, this event may still take place concurrently with free agency.
Training camp begins
Training camp for the WNBA will start on April 19th, leaving under three weeks until the season’s kickoff.
Preseason games begin
The Liberty’s preseason will commence against the Fever on April 25th, with Seattle also slated to face the Valkyries that same day. Liberty will then play their second preseason game in Connecticut on May 3rd.
Regular season tips off
The WNBA is set to embrace its 30th season on May 8th, and the agreement reached this week makes that starting date possible. The Liberty will be participating in one of the three opening games against the Sun in Brooklyn.
