Why the WNBA Could Be Set for Free Agency Madness in March

If the WNBA CBA can be ironed out, March may be a month of madness when it comes to free agency signings.

Sabrina Ionescu (left) and Kelsey Mitchell answers questions Saturday, July 19, 2025, at a press conference after the WNBA All-Star Game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. | HG Biggs/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The WNBA CBA negotiations are the true story of consequence for the league currently. Because even though the 2026 schedule was released this week, that is a irrelevant if a new deal cannot be reached.

Thus far the WNBA and players appear to be at a stalemate, but the urgency is picking up given the dates that need to be put on the calendar.

New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart alluded to February 1 as a realistic timeline to get the talks resolved, and that target has been backed up by recent reporting.

Annie Costabile of Front Office Sports published a piece on Friday that aligned with Stewart's thinking, as time is running out for the CBA to be completed in time to get all business done before the start of the regular season.

"Multiple league sources believe the best-case scenario for free agency would be early March, and that’s if the ink dries on a new CBA by early February giving the WNBA the rest of the month to plan and conduct an expansion draft," Costabile wrote.

The WNBA released the schedule for the 2026 season this week, but that does little to guarantee it will actually tip off on time.

The next two weeks will determine a lot in regards to the status of the league's 30th season.https://t.co/MNzYxlhstW

— Annie Costabile (@AnnieCostabile) January 23, 2026

If said date can come to fruition, it would mean a condensed free agency period of unprecedented proportion.

Nearly the Entire WNBA Is Set to Enter Free Agency

Sep 14, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (24) looks on against the Golden State Valkyries in the second half during game one of round one for the 2025 WNBA Playoffs at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images | Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Outside of a players on rookie contracts, only a couple WNBA veterans are under contract for 2026 and beyond, which means a huge portion of the league will be entering free agency upon completion of the new CBA.

Which means if that carries over into the start of March, the WNBA will have its own from of madness in that month.

It's already unclear how the vast pool of free agents will impact the rules for the expansion draft to be held for the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire, given those franchises need to get rosters in place before free agency even commences.

It also stands to reason that more players may choose to stay put or sign short deals in order to buy time to think about how best to capitalize on the pay raise structure that will come from a completed CBA.

The condensed calendar is the uncertainty on the horizon, following the ongoing mystery of when the WNBA and players might finally come to an agreement. But one thing that seems for sure assuming the deal gets done—WNBA free agency will be filled with frenetic transactions in a short period of time.