2026 WNBA season key dates: Expansion Draft, WNBA Draft, Free Agency, Season Tipoff & more
NBC Sports • • sports
Key Points:
- The WNBA players and Board of Governors have ratified a new collective bargaining agreement, setting the stage for a busy 2026 offseason including the Expansion Draft, Free Agency, and the Draft.
- Key 2026 dates include the Expansion Draft on April 3, Free Agency from April 7–18, the WNBA Draft on April 13 at 7pm ET, training camp starting April 19, preseason games from April 25 to May 3, and the season opener on May 8.
- The 2026 Expansion Draft will introduce two new teams, the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo, with current teams finalizing player protections by March 29.
- Free Agency begins April 7, featuring a historic period where almost all non-rookie scale players, including stars like A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart, are free agents; the salary cap rises to $7 million with an average salary expected at $583,000.
- The 2026 WNBA Draft, held in New York, will see the Dallas Wings pick first, with UConn’s Azzi Fudd projected as the No. 1 pick, who is expected to earn $500,000 under the new CBA.
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