| 2026 WNBA Season | |
|---|---|
| League | Women's National Basketball Association |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Teams | 15 |
| TV partner(s) | ABC/ESPN/ESPN2 NBC USA Network Peacock Amazon Prime Video |
| Draft | |
| Regular Season | |
| Playoffs | |
The 2026 WNBA season will be the 30th season of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).
The league will expand from 13 to 15 teams with the addition of the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo, first announced in 2024. [1] This followed the addition of the Golden State Valkyries in 2025.
In October 2025 the WNBA announced that the Chicago Sky will host the 2026 WNBA All-Star Game and related events for the second time in franchise history. The All-Star game will be played at the United Center on Saturday, July 25, while the three-point contest and Skills Challenge will take place on Friday, July 24, at Wintrust Arena. [2] [3]
The current WNBA Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), signed in 2020, was originally to run through 2027, but the Women's National Basketball Player's Association (WNBPA) opted out in October 2024, accelerating its termination to October 31, 2025. [4]
The previous CBA was signed in January 2020, covering the 2020–2027 seasons. The agreement introduced increased salaries, maternity and family benefits, and improved travel conditions.
If no agreement is reached by October 31, 2025, the league could face a lockout or delayed start to the 2026 season.
On October 30, it was announce that the WNBA and WNBPA had reach an agreement for a 30-day extension to continue the negotiations. [8]
On November 7, 2025, the WNBA announced that the 2026 draft lottery will be broadcast on Sunday, November 23, on ESPN. [9]
In July 2024, the WNBA announced a series of new media rights agreements set to begin with the 2026 season and run through 2036. [10] The league entered into long-term partnerships with The Walt Disney Company (ABC, ESPN, ESPN2), NBCUniversal (NBC, USA Network, Peacock), and Amazon Prime Video. A separate agreement was also reached with Versant for expanded coverage on the USA Network. [11]
The combined package is valued at approximately US $2.2 billion over 11 years, a substantial increase from the league's previous broadcast contracts. [12] The agreements are intended to enhance visibility, expand global distribution, and provide the league with a more stable revenue base as it enters a new decade of growth. [10]
Under the deal, Disney will continue to air regular-season and playoff games on its linear and digital platforms, including a rotating share of the WNBA Finals. NBCUniversal will carry weekly primetime doubleheaders and playoff coverage on USA Network and Peacock, while Amazon Prime Video will stream roughly 30 regular-season games per year worldwide. In select years, USA Network will also broadcast postseason series under the Versant agreement. [10] [11]
| Off-season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Team | 2025 season | 2026 season | Ref. |
| Dallas Wings |  Chris Koclanes | Jose Fernandez | [13] [14] |
| New York Liberty |  Sandy Brondello | TBA | [15] |
| Portland Fire | Did not exist |  Alex Sarama | [16] |
| Seattle Storm | Noelle Quinn | Sonia Raman | [17] [18] |
| Toronto Tempo | Did not exist | Sandy Brondello | [19] |