WNBA Reaches New CBA Agreement: What Comes Next
Following months of back-and-forth and a recent marathon of negotiations, the WNBA and the players' association have finally come to terms on a new collective bargaining agreement.
BREAKING: The WNBA and WNBPA have reached a tentative verbal agreement for a new CBA, sources tell me. Term sheet will now go to the players and WNBA Board of Governors for a vote to ratify the new agreement.
— Annie Costabile (@AnnieCostabile) March 18, 2026
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert addressed the deal when meeting with media early Wednesday morning:
“First, I just want to say thank you for your endurance through this process, especially I know it's been a long week. I just want to say we have aligned on key elements of a new Collective Bargaining Agreement together. We still need to finalize a formal term sheet, but the progress made in these discussions marks a transformative step forward for players and the league. It underscores a shared commitment to the continued growth of the game. So, we'll share additional details as they become available.
“We just had some congratulations with each other. It's been, obviously, a process, but we're very proud to be leading women’s sports. These players are amazing, and we're going to have an amazing 30th season tipping off in May.”
The most important part of Engelbert's remarks being the last sentence, and she later confirmed that training camps and the 2026 season will start on time.
This means a sprint to the opening date of May 8 is set to commence.
The WNBA Calendar Will Be Jam-Packed
The reason for urgency on the CBA was due to how much business the league must attend to. Because before training camps open on April 19 there are several key events on the calendar.
Expansion Drafts
The Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo will both begin play in 2026, but each team needs a roster first. Once the CBA is ratified, an expansion draft will be conducted with the new franchises picking players left unprotected from the other WNBA teams.
Free Agency
Nearly every player in the league who is not on a rookie contract will be entering free agency this offseason. And considering how truncated it is, expect a frenetic signing period once offers can be given.
WNBA Draft
Then there is the traditional WNBA Draft, which is scheduled for April 13. The Dallas Wings will be making the first selection on draft night.
Engelbert confirmed the extended negotiations avoided any impacts to the 2026 schedule.
— Alexa Philippou (@alexaphilippou) March 18, 2026
Training camp is set to open on April 19, followed by preseason games beginning April 25 and the start of the regular season on May 8. https://t.co/hB0JIAx86a
The exact timeline for all these events has not been revealed yet. The expansion draft for the Golden State Valkyries was in December prior to the 2025 season, while free agency concluded in February, which goes to show how much ground must be made up.
Doug Feinberg of The Associated Press previously shared potential dates, with the expansion drafts taking place between April 1-6, and the free agent signing period happening April 12-18—but it is unclear if anything could be altered due to the time it took for an agreement to be reached.
Regardless, the 2026 season is intact and that is a win for everyone involved with the WNBA.
Robin Lundberg is a media veteran and hoops head who has spent the bulk of his career with iconic brands like Sports Illustrated and ESPN. His insights have also been featured on platforms such as Fox and CNN and he can currently be heard hosting shows for Sirius XM and on his burgeoning YouTube show. And now he brings his basketball expertise to Women's Fastbreak on SI!
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