25 WNBA offseason storylines to follow heading into the 2026 season

There is nothing more important in this offseason than inking a new CBA deal. The current contract ends in November, so the new agreement will aim to reshape the league’s business model, allowing more money to go to players and supporting the league’s continued growth. Talking points in the meetings will include a new salary structure, charter travel, improving facilities, and how basketball-related income is divided among the players. Once this is all worked out, then the offseason will officially begin.

The WNBA “Core” label is equivalent to a franchise tag in other leagues. With nearly 80% of the league hitting free agency, teams will be utilizing this tool more than ever to gain exclusive negotiating rights with their stars. The new CBA will determine the terms of the one-year contract, but it’s expected to be significantly higher than in previous years. Each team gets one use of this designation, so teams with multiple stars not on rookie deals, like New York and Phoenix, will face difficult decisions. 

The WNBA will expand to 15 teams in 2026, welcoming Toronto and Portland. The two organizations will take part in an expansion draft, with talent from across the league to choose from based on how the other 13 teams use their protection. With multiple teams entering the same offseason, some talented players will be exposed in the draft, since each team can protect only a limited number of players. The date of the draft has yet to be announced, but it will be held shortly after the new CBA is agreed upon. 

With the aforementioned two new teams and the increased money at each team’s disposal, it’s very likely that one of (or both) Toronto and Portland will look to make a major splash. Being that they have zero players on the book and the largest wallet at the moment, they could be significant players. Top-tier talent like Sabrina Ionescu, Kelsey Mitchell, Jewell Loyd, and Arike Ogunbowale could be among those in contention to be the faces of their franchise. 

For the second straight season, the Wings will be picking first in the draft. Last year’s no-brainer selection of Paige Bueckers was a home-run pick as she went on to win Rookie of the Year. They’ll aim to bring in another foundational player after winning the lottery. Unlike the past few drafts, there isn’t a consensus name among analysts. Instead, Dallas will have a few options to sift through, including UCONN star guard Azzi Fudd. 

Every lottery has its winners and losers, and in this November’s unveiling, Minnesota was very happy after securing the No. 2 pick. The reigning regular-season champs inherited the pick via trade with Chicago. Now, the Lynx have an opportunity to add a cornerstone player among the three highly-regarded names atop the board. Whichever player that is will step right into a win-now situation as Minnesota looks to win its fifth title. 

There may be no player whose free-agent status will be followed more closely than Wilson. Vegas will undoubtedly apply the “Core” tag to Wilson and will then more than likely be able to negotiate a contract that makes both sides happy. But, there’s always a chance things go awry whenever situations like these arise. The four-time MVP has pronounced her love for the city and wants to retire as an Ace, so everyone is fully prepared for her to return. What makes her status all the more intriguing is what her contract looks like, given it will be the max offer and will set precedent for future stars when it’s time for them to ink new deals. 

Seattle has a choice to make. Do they retool or do they enter their rebuild era? Their star trio of Nneka Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins, and Ezi Magbegor will hit the market with one of them receiving a “Core” tag. The Storm will need to decide whether to bring the other two back, bring only one back, or completely turn the page. Adding to the interest with Seattle is that they hold the Nos. 3 and 14 picks, and will have one of the largest cap spaces to work with. There’s even a world where none of those three receive the one-year designation, and Seattle hands the keys to the youth.  

The Mystics’ 2025 season wasn’t one filled with many wins after finishing 16-28, but it was one in which their rookie class exceeded expectations. Kiki Irafen and Sonia Citron quickly emerged to the point of being all-stars. On top of that, Washington has two picks inside the top 10 (Nos. 4 and 9) along with No. 11. If GM Jamilia Wideman can nail those selections as she did last offseason, there may not be a more exciting young team to watch in the WNBA. 

To say the Fever were snakebitten with injuries is an understatement. Caitlin Clark, Sophie Cunningham, and Sydney Colson all suffered season-ending injuries. For Indiana, its offseason will likely be viewed through the lens of hoping that everyone returns healthy and is ready to roll. They’ll have to find a way to keep Kelsey Mitchell in town, but assuming they can find a way to do that, the Fever’s success in 2026 will hinge on staying off the medical table. 

The Sky suspended Reese for the first half of a game in September after making “statements detrimental to the team.” Reese was candid with a local outlet, expressing her frustrations with the team’s current state and suggesting she’d ask to be moved if things didn’t change. The relationship between her and the organization hit a low in that moment, and it will be a focal point this offseason. The Sky will need to make some moves not only to get the team back on track, but also to restore any lost faith between itself and its star.

Like other teams, the Mercury have a daunting task ahead with one Core designation but three star players hitting free agency. The team’s top three scorers — Satou Sabally, Kahleah Copper, and Alyssa Thomas — will all command max money on the open market, leaving Phoenix with its hands tied. After falling in the Finals to Las Vegas, their championship window is right there, so the organization will need to decide whether it can risk rounding out their depth (a problem they showed against Vegas) by keeping all three of their stars or just two.

The WNBA is set to have its most thrilling offseason in league history, and to kick it off will be a draft that has multiple players in the running for the No. 1 selection. This is unique as of late, after Aliyah Boston (2023), Caitlin Clark (2024), and Paige Bueckers (2025) were all obvious, no-doubt-about-it choices at the top. When Dallas goes to the podium, there will be at least three names in consideration: Lauren Betts, Awa Fam, and Azzi Fudd. 

Since 2024, the New York Liberty have had a superteam. The trio of Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, and Jonquel Jones will all be hitting free agency, along with key players like Natasha Cloud and Emma Meesseman. Stewart, a two-time MVP, is believed to be the most likely of the group to receive the Core tag. If Ionescu hits the open market, there’s a belief she’ll command a max offer, potentially from a team like Golden State, which would bring her back home. How the Liberty chooses to handle these decisions will go a long way in shaping the offseason. 

Speaking of Golden State, their inaugural season couldn’t have gone any better. Natalie Nakase won the WNBA Coach of the Year after leading the team to a 23-21 record and a playoff appearance in their first season. The goal of this offseason will be to find the face of the franchise, potentially someone like Sabrina Ionescu. The Valkyries are owned by the same ownership group as their NBA counterpart, the Warriors, who have shown they aren’t afraid to spend big to win. Many around the league expect Golden State to be among the most active teams in the offseason. 

Last season, Atlanta quickly found success after bringing in a college coach like Karl Smesko. Dallas, which will have the No. 1 pick in two straight seasons after winning this year’s lottery, poached Jose Fernandez from the collegiate ranks after 25 seasons with South Florida. With the young talent at his disposal in the Wings, it makes sense that ownership would aim to bring in someone known for developing players and building a winning culture, like Fernandez. 

Every offseason brings an influx of youth from the college draft class, while a few longtime veterans hang up their jerseys for good. There’s a lot of uncertainty about what some of the older players will do with the new CBA on the horizon, but a handful of highly respected players could lace up for another season or call it a career. DeWanna Bonner (38), Britney Griner (35), Courtney Vandersloot (37), and Tiffany Hayes (37) could all be considering the option. 

Three teams finished with 30 wins in 2025. Two of those were expected. Then there was Atlanta. Behind its dynamic duo in Rhyne Howard and Alisha Gray, along with its first-year coach, Karl Smesko, the Dream took the next step into contention. This offseason all eyes will be on them and how they surround their stars, who are expected to resign with the team. Smesko’s system calls for spacing and three-point shooting, which is why the Dream are expected to be major players in the market for the best shooters. A strong offseason can catapult Atlanta into title favorites. 

Anytime a new coach steps into the league, there’s uncertainty about what to expect. For DeMarco, who takes over one of the most storied franchises in the league in New York, he’s expected to bring over that championship experience he saw firsthand for more than a decade with the Golden State Warriors. There’s additional pressure on him to be an innovator, too, bringing over the Warriors’ motion offense and defense and translating that to the women’s game. If there’s any level of complacency in New York, DeMarco is there to challenge that head-on. 

Collier went down with an ankle injury in Game 3 of the semifinals against Phoenix. It was in that moment that all eyes in Minnesota went to her status for the start of next season. The Lynx’s success hinges on Collier and her MVP-level of play. Fortunately, she avoided any significant damage and will be ready for the next season. Anytime an injury like that happens late in the season, however, there’s always a bit of hesitation as to what to expect out of the gate. That also marked her second ankle injury (to separate ankles) of the season, raising some concern about her durability. 

From the outside, it’s hard not to like what the Sparks have put together. The duo of Dearica Hamby and Rickea Jackson was impactful in 2025, and the upcoming season will also mark the return of Cameron Brink following her knee injury. Hamby, however, is a free agent and will draw plenty of interest on the open market. The organization wants to elevate itself into the upper echelon of the league, so seeing where the Sparks turn to in the draft and free agency will be one of the more fascinating storylines. 

By now, it’s apparent that this offseason will be unlike anything WNBA fans have seen before with the looming new CBA agreement. All signs point to the next couple of months featuring plenty of player transactions, including more trades than ever before. That’s due to a deep draft class, more financial flexibility, and teams looking to pull off sign-and-trades rather than losing players for nothing. 

With the aforementioned increase in financial flexibility and teams being able to spend more than ever before, that begs the question: Will the league attract more stars from overseas? For starters, the potential No. 1 pick, Awa Fam, hails from Spain, which adds credibility to the league being a more enticing option for players from other countries. The international wave may not happen immediately after the new CBA, but in the coming years.

The 3-on-3 league co-founded by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier will kick off its second season in January. The league has expanded to eight teams (48-plus players), including Paige Bueckers. Unrivaled aims to be the top destination for WNBA stars in the offseason, and for fans, it offers an intimate way to watch their favorite players hoop between seasons. 

The 2026 season will see the W’s multi-step expansion plan add two more cities to the fold in Toronto and Portland. Commissioner Cathy Englebert has announced a plan to reach 18 teams by 2030, with Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia entering the league in each of the next three seasons. Plans for more teams remain ongoing as cities await their bids. With a new CBA and more visibility (and profit) for the league, there’s no doubt that more and more cities will enter the fray in the next decade.