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ESPN Senior Writer- Michael Voepel is a senior writer who covers the WNBA, women's college basketball and other college sports. Voepel began covering women's basketball in 1984, and has been with ESPN since 1996.
It was a WNBA offseason unlike any other, with a monthslong labor dispute that put everything into a holding pattern.
Even before the season ended Oct. 10 with the Las Vegas Aces winning their third title, three coaches had been dismissed. Then Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier publicly called out WNBA leadership and commissioner Cathy Engelbert, which set the tone for a contentious offseason.
The end of October brought the first of multiple deadline extensions for a collective bargaining agreement. The WNBA did what business it could -- holding the draft lottery in November and releasing the schedule in January -- but the league and the players' association at times seemed so far apart there were concerns about the 2026 season.
A new CBA was finally reached in March after an intense eight-day negotiating session in New York. The CBA marathon was followed by a roster-building sprint: the expansion draft, free agency and the regular draft took place in a hectic 10-day period in April.
Now, with the WNBA less than two weeks from opening its 30th season, here are 12 things that shaped the offseason.
Storm fire Quinn, first of five head coaching jobs to be filled
Date: Sept. 21, 2025
The Seattle Storm moving on from Noelle Quinn after four seasons and a 101-97 record was the first domino to fall in the coaching carousel for the 2026 season. But the biggest coaching change of the offseason came two days later, when the New York Liberty fired Sandy Brondello 11 months after she led the franchise to its first WNBA title. The winningest coach in Liberty history, Brondello was 107-53 in four seasons.
Brondello, who led the Phoenix Mercury to the 2014 WNBA championship, wasn't unemployed for long. The Toronto Tempo, one of two expansion franchises that will play their inaugural seasons this summer, hired her Nov. 4. "From my first conversations with the Tempo organization," Brondello said, "it was clear we share the same vision: to build a world-class franchise that competes at the highest level."
In Dallas, the Wings let Chris Koclanes go Sept. 30 after one season at the helm in which he finished tied for the league's worst record at 10-34. He was replaced by longtime South Florida Bulls coach Jose Fernandez, who is now leading 2025 Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers and 2026 No. 1 pick Azzi Fudd.
Seattle hired former Liberty assistant Sonia Raman on Oct. 28, and a pair of former NBA assistant coaches were tabbed for the other two head coaching vacancies. The expansion Portland Fire hired Alex Sarama, most recently an assistant with the Cleveland Cavaliers, as their inaugural coach Oct. 17. New York hired former Golden State Warriors assistant coach Chris DeMarco on Nov. 21. -- Kendra Andrews
Players vs. league: Tensions flare, CBA deadlines come and go
Dates:
• Sept. 30, 2025: Napheesa Collier blasts Cathy Engelbert
• Oct. 30, 2025: First of several CBA deadlines passes
• Nov. 30, 2025: Another deadline passes, negotiating period extended to Jan. 9
• Dec. 1, 2025: Details of WNBA's latest proposal include million-dollar salaries
In her exit interview after No. 1 seed Minnesota was upset in the WNBA semifinals and she had been sidelined by injury, forward Napheesa Collier harshly criticized commissioner Cathy Engelbert, saying the WNBA had "the worst leadership in the world."
CBA negotiations were already expected to be contentious, going back to the "Pay Us What You Owe Us" T-shirts players wore at the All-Star Game in July. Collier's remarks -- saying officiating and player compensation had not been properly addressed -- turned up the heat. Collier also alleged that, in a private conversation with Engelbert in February 2025, the commissioner had said the players should be "on their knees" in gratitude to the league. Engelbert denied saying that but did vow that the league would do better to respond to players' complaints.
The WNBA and the union weren't expected to meet their first CBA deadline at the end of October. That extension was a formality. But by Thanksgiving, it was clear the CBA wasn't coming in November, either.
As December began, sources revealed the league's most recent proposal had set max salaries, including revenue share, at $1.2 million. But the sides were still far apart, especially on the topic of revenue sharing percentages. -- Michael Voepel
Lottery gives Dallas No. 1 pick for second straight year
Date: Nov. 23, 2025
With the WNBA draft lottery odds determined by a two-year cumulative record, the Dallas Wings had a distinct advantage heading into 2025 after posting a 9-31 record in 2024. The Los Angeles Sparks traded for Kelsey Plum and were making a playoff push in 2025, so they improved from 8-32 to 21-23. The Wings and Sky tied with 10-34 records in 2025, but Chicago -- which had already previously traded its 2026 first-round pick to Minnesota -- was 13-27 in 2024, which gave Dallas a four-game advantage in the race to the best odds.
There were no surprises in the lottery as the top five didn't change and the Wings won with 42.0% odds, marking the fifth time in league history that a franchise secured No. 1 picks in consecutive seasons. The Fever were the most recent with Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark. Indiana is in win-now mode and a championship contender. Plum was the No. 1 pick to the San Antonio Stars in 2017 before the franchise moved to Las Vegas, became the Aces, and drafted A'ja Wilson and Jackie Young with the first overall pick in each of the next two years. That set up the Aces for three championships and four Finals trips in the last six seasons.
The Storm had back-to-back No. 1 selections twice: 2001-02 and 2015-16. Lauren Jackson and Sue Bird were the first pair, and they won the first two championships in franchise history. Jewell Loyd and Breanna Stewart were the latter duo and won two more titles for Seattle. If history holds steady, the combination of UConn's Bueckers and Fudd could put Dallas in position to compete for championships for years.
Fudd was the purest shooter in the NCAA last season, a skill that should translate immediately. The rest of her game will have to continue to develop. The Wings hit free agency hard with the signings of Alanna Smith and Jessica Shepard while keeping Arike Ogunbowale. This is a much-improved roster, but is it playoff-ready with first-year coach Jose Fernandez? That's the goal, but only time will tell. -- Kareem Copeland
Players vs. league, Part II: Still no CBA, months of uncertainty
Dates:
• Dec. 12, 2025: Clark calls for compromise on both sides
• Dec. 18, 2025: WNBPA members vote to strike 'when necessary'
• Jan. 9, 2026: Another CBA deadline passes, sides agree to keep negotiating
• Jan. 21, 2026: League releases 2026 schedule
• Feb. 6, 2026: Latest WNBA proposal floats housing provisions
• Feb. 23, 2026: League sets March 10 deadline
At a USA Basketball training camp in Durham, North Carolina, on Dec. 12, Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark discussed the necessity of compromise to ensure there would be a 2026 WNBA season. Clark and other players at the camp struck a more conciliatory tone than the union did six days later with some saber rattling.
The WNBPA announced its members had voted to allow the executive committee to call a strike if the leadership group felt that was necessary. The union accused the league of "resistance to change and a recommitment to the draconian provisions that have unfairly restricted players for nearly three decades."
The WNBA countered, saying, "It is difficult to understand claims that the league is resistant to change, particularly given that we are proposing numerous CBA modifications."
The union proposed that the players receive 30% of gross revenue. The league countered with closer to 15%, claiming the WNBA could suffer losses up to $700 million if it went to 30%.
The Jan. 9 CBA deadline came and went, but things remained "status quo" as both sides continued to negotiate. In a nod toward "normalcy," the league released the 44-game regular-season schedule Jan. 21.
The league's newest proposal on Feb. 6 -- which came around six weeks after the union's most recent proposal around Christmas -- included some potential changes in paying for players' housing. Over the next few weeks, both sides traded counterproposals. Revenue sharing continued to be the biggest stumbling block.
On Feb. 23, the league set March 10 as the newest deadline for an agreement, saying the 2026 season could not be guaranteed to start on time if the sides didn't hit this target. -- Voepel
Healthy Clark makes Team USA debut along with five others
Date: March 11, 2026
Eight months after she was officially shut down toward the end of the 2025 WNBA regular season, Caitlin Clark made her senior Team USA debut as the U.S. beat Senegal 110-46 in the opening game of a FIBA World Cup qualifying tournament in Puerto Rico. In her first game since July, Clark finished with 17 points on 4-of-5 shooting and 12 assists in 19 minutes.
Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers also made their senior Team USA debuts, as did Kiki Iriafen, Monique Billings and Rae Burrell.
The Fever announced last Sept. 4 that Clark would be sidelined, but by that point she hadn't played since July 15 as she dealt with a right groin injury. An additional bone bruise on her left ankle helped lead to the decision to shut down her second season. Clark played only 13 games in 2025 after not missing a single game her rookie year. -- Andrews
Caitlin Clark is looking to play off the ball more to stay energized during games.
Players vs. league, Part III: Let's make a deal
Dates:
• March 3, 2026: Players' letter to union head revealed
• March 6, 2026: Stewart says letter was intended to get everyone back on track
• March 10, 2026: Marathon negotiating period begins in New York
• March 18, 2026: At last, league and union reach agreement
• March 24, 2026: WNBA owners ratify deal
After months of both negotiations and stalemate, the rubber met the road in March as the clock ticked down on CBA talks with a heightened sense of urgency. Executive committee members Breanna Stewart and Kelsey Plum sent a letter to WNBPA executive director Terri Jackson expressing concern about negotiations, "including the lack of adequate player involvement in the process." The players said they were "frustrated that we have not made more progress as we near the March 10 deadline, and we believe this is a result of a breakdown in communication between you and the executive committee and players more broadly."
Stewart followed that up saying a subsequent March 5 call with the executive committee was productive. And by the March 10 deadline, intense negotiations began in New York with players such as Stewart included at the table.
A group of WNBA reporters, including ESPN's Alexa Philippou, staked out the hotel for eight days, with negotiations going well into the early morning. After more than 100 hours at the bargaining table, Engelbert told reporters around 3 a.m. ET on March 18, "We have aligned on key elements of a new collective bargaining agreement together."
The highlights: a $7 million salary cap -- up from $1.5 million in 2025 -- and $1.4 million supermax, with an average salary around $600,000. Revenue share -- the biggest obstacle during negotiations -- will average nearly 20% of gross revenue across the length of the deal. -- Voepel
Sun are sold to Houston ownership group
Date: March 30, 2026
ESPN reported on Dec. 19 that the Sun were in talks with Houston Rockets ownership to sell the franchise. The Sun had already been on the market after originally pursuing a limited partnership sale that would help fund an infrastructure build. In July 2025, ownership agreed to sell the team to a group led by former Boston Celtics minority owner Steve Pagliuca for $325 million, but the league blocked the sale, saying "relocation decisions are made by the WNBA Board of Governors and not by individual teams." Engelbert had already raved about the Houston group when announcing that Toronto, Portland, Detroit, Philadelphia and Cleveland had been selected for expansion franchises.
Months later, on March 30, the Mohegan Tribe agreed to sell the team to Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta for $300 million -- which means the organization will come to a close at the end of its 24th season in Connecticut after moving from Orlando in 2003. The Sun never won a title but advanced to the Finals four times (2004, 2005, 2019, 2022) and had 16 playoff appearances after moving from Florida. Strong coaching was a staple for most of its existence from Mike Thibault to Anne Donovan to Curt Miller to Stephanie White. Tina Charles won her league MVP in 2012 wearing the Connecticut orange, and Jonquel Jones did the same in 2021.
While the organization has dubbed 2026 its "sunset season," the most dominant franchise in league history is set to return next offseason. The Comets won the first four WNBA championships with a ridiculous core that included Hall of Famers Tina Thompson, Sheryl Swoopes and Cynthia Cooper. The ownership group put together an impressive enough pitch that Engelbert specifically mentioned them when announcing the cities that were recently awarded a franchise team. It seemed clear that Houston was up next, though it happened in an awkward fashion as the Mohegan Tribe attempted to keep the team in New England. Houston is the U.S. city with the fourth-highest population (2.39 million), according to 2024 census data, and it was the only metropolis in the top five without a WNBA team.
Still, the most notable thing of the whole ordeal was how the league influenced the sale and essentially denied ownership's preferred options. So the question moving forward is how much the league can dictate situations like these? Toronto and upcoming franchises in Detroit, Cleveland and Philadelphia all have ownership groups that have stakes in NBA teams. Those connections seem to be a priority for the WNBA. -- Copeland
Portland, Toronto hold expansion draft
Date: April 3, 2026
The expansion draft was the first order of business after the CBA was agreed upon, and it finally gave Toronto and Portland the opportunity to start building their rosters. Management for both teams spent the months leading up to April drafting mock scenarios, but without official rules in place, they could only speculate and guess which players would be left unprotected on the rosters of the 13 preexisting teams.
Portland selected Bridget Carleton, previously with the Lynx, with the first overall pick of the draft, while Toronto selected Julie Allemand from the Sparks. Both expansion franchises relied on a heavy veteran presence in their draft picks. Portland general manager Vanja Cernivec told reporters she wanted players who would jell well as teammates but also fit the European-inspired style the coaching staff is developing.
The Tempo's headliner in the draft was Marina Mabrey, who will likely be the team's No. 1 scoring option. Their initial roster construction suggests a high-tempo offensive team, with players such as Mabrey and Allemand as well as Aaliyah Nye, Lexi Held and Maria Conde. Behind Coach Brondello, the Tempo appear to be in as much of a "win now" mode as a team in its first year can be. -- Andrews
Reese traded to Atlanta, ending her time in Chicago
Date: April 6, 2026
Things were never the same between Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky after critical comments made to the Chicago Tribune in early September. "I'm not settling for the same s--- we did this year," the two-time All-Star told the Tribune. "We have to get good players. We have to get great players. That's a nonnegotiable for me. I'm willing and wanting to play with the best. And however I can help to get the best here, that's what I'm going to do this offseason." She also expressed concerns with the point guard position and Courtney Vandersloot, who turned 37 years old in February.
Reese apologized to teammates and the Sky suspended her for the first half of a game against the Las Vegas Aces for "statements detrimental to the team." But she never played another game in a Chicago jersey, missing games with a back injury and one due to a league-mandated, single-game suspension for technical fouls.
In an April 6 trade, the Sky sent Reese to the Atlanta Dream for first-round picks in 2027 and 2028 and a 2028 second-round pick swap. The 2024 No. 7 overall pick has averaged 14.1 points and 12.9 rebounds for her career.
Reese had been Chicago's best player the past two seasons, but the Sky's roster reconstruction hit another phase without her. The team also traded Ariel Atkins, whom it acquired from Washington for the 2025 No. 3 overall pick, a 2027 second-round pick and the rights to swap 2027 first-round picks. Atkins was moved to the Los Angeles Sparks for 2024 No. 4 pick Rickea Jackson. In free agency, Chicago signed Skylar Diggins, Azura Stevens and DiJonai Carrington. The Sky drafted UCLA guard Gabriela Jaquez with the No. 5 pick.
Reese, meanwhile, joined a team built to immediately compete for a championship with a core of Rhyne Howard, Allisha Gray, Brionna Jones, Naz Hillmon, Jordin Canada and Te-Hina Paopao. "I enjoyed being able to grow within my first two years, but I wanted more," Reese said at her introductory news conference. "I love to win, I love to compete and I wanted to be surrounded by people that can make me better." -- Copeland
Monica McNutt joins "SportsCenter" to break down what the Sky trading Angel Reese to the Dream means for both teams.
The WNBA's first million-dollar salaries
Dates:
• April 9: Aces' Jackie Young hits million mark
• April 15: Aces' A'ja Wilson signs 3-year supermax deal
• April 17: Fever's Aliyah Boston gets richest extension to date
One of the immediate impacts of the new CBA? Salaries, for the first time, are eye-catching. They might not stand out next to the multimillions some other professional sports offer, but it's still life-changing money that elevates the league.
Las Vegas' Wilson and Young and Indiana's Aliyah Boston are all examples of former No. 1 picks who have aligned their pro identities with the franchises that drafted them. Boston was entering the last year of her rookie deal, but under new provisions in the CBA, was allowed to replace her 2026 salary by signing the extension.
The Aces have a third million-dollar player this season in Chelsea Gray, who has won three WNBA titles alongside Wilson and Young. -- Voepel
New York Liberty vs. Indiana Fever - Game Highlights
Big names move in mellow free agency
Date: April 10, 2026
The 2026 free agency period didn't turn out to be the absolute madness that many expected with over 100 players being unrestricted free agents. The majority of the bigger names remained with their previous clubs.
Nneka Ogwumike, the 2016 MVP and a 10-time All-Star, was the most decorated player to change teams when she returned to the franchise that drafted her No. 1 overall in 2012. Ogwumike joined a Los Angeles Sparks team with intentions of challenging for a championship with Plum, Atkins, Dearica Hamby, Cameron Brink and Burrell.
There was some surprise when the Phoenix Mercury didn't attempt to sign Satou Sabally and let her head to New York. The Liberty kept their big three of Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu and Jonquel Jones and added a three-time All-Star and 2023 All-WNBA selection in Sabally, who averaged 16.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists last season. Injury history is the only knock against Sabally.
Seattle reset its roster by letting Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins, who signed with the Sky, walk. Diggins to Chicago was unexpected considering the six-time All-WNBA selection is 35 years old and still searching for her first championship. The Sky don't appear to be at that level of contention at the moment.
The Lynx, along with the Storm, seemed to suffer the biggest blows of free agency when 2025 Defensive Player of the Year Alanna Smith and Jessica Shepard both signed with Dallas. The pair were significant additions to a Wings team looking to take a step forward with No. 1 picks Bueckers and Fudd and the re-signing of Ogunbowale.
The Valkyries added two-time All-Defense Gabby Williams. Azura Stevens turned a career year (12.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.2 steals, 1.1 blocks) into a deal with the Sky, and nine-time All-Star Brittney Griner landed in Connecticut after not being named an All-Star for just the third time of her career.
The Liberty, reigning champion Las Vegas Aces, Indiana Fever and Atlanta Dream all kept their core, remain contenders and the class of the league and are the betting favorites in that order. -- Copeland
Draft part of whirlwind player acquisition period
Date: April 13, 2026
For the first time in several years, there was some uncertainty in the week before the draft about who might go No. 1. But as draft day arrived, it seemed Fudd was Dallas' clear choice for the top pick.
That reunited Fudd with former UConn teammate Bueckers, the No. 1 pick and WNBA Rookie of the Year in 2025, to give the Wings a powerhouse backcourt along with veteran guard Ogunbowale.
Meanwhile, the celebration for UCLA continued. The week after winning the national championship, six Bruins were selected in the draft, the most by any college program in the same year. Leading the way was center Lauren Betts, chosen No. 4 by the Washington Mystics.
The new CBA's impact on rookie deals was huge: The average first-year salary for 2026 is projected at $386,000, compared to approximately $75,000 in 2025. -- Voepel
