WNBA Free Agency Expected to Transform 2026 Landscape

As WNBA training camps begin, the league is bracing for a transformative 2026 season when over 100 players—including 20 All-Stars—will become free agents, potentially leading to unprecedented player movement. Atlanta Dream GM Dan Padover and ESPN analyst Rebecca Lobo both emphasize that the vast majority of veterans will be unrestricted free agents after this season, setting the stage for potential shifts in league power dynamics. The uncertainty is heightened by a pending new collective bargaining agreement expected to significantly raise salaries, especially with the WNBA's landmark 11-year, $2.2 billion media rights deal commencing in 2026. Star players like A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart are on one-year contracts, awaiting these changes, while notable rookies such as Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese remain under contract and unaffected by the coming free agency wave. Teams are currently focused on the 2025 championship, but league officials acknowledge that the next CBA could allow any franchise to rapidly become a powerhouse. This period is anticipated to rival the NBA's dramatic 2016 salary cap surge following its own major TV deal.