The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) is preparing for a dynamic 2026 season following recent collective bargaining agreement negotiations. The league has announced key dates for the upcoming year, including the draft, regular season start, and playoff schedule.

2026 WNBA Draft and Free Agency

Draft Details

The 2026 WNBA Draft is scheduled for April 13th. Portland holds the first overall pick, with teams alternating selections thereafter. Each team is permitted to protect five players from being selected in the draft.

Expansion Draft

The league’s two expansion teams, the Fire and Tempo, will participate in an expansion draft in April. They are limited to selecting only one player from each of the other 13 teams’ 2025 rosters, and can pursue impending free agents.

Regular Season and Commissioner’s Cup

Season Tip-Off

The WNBA regular season will begin on Friday, May 8th, with a tripleheader featuring the Connecticut Sun versus the New York Liberty, the Washington Mystics versus the Tempo, and the Valkyries versus the Seattle Storm.

WNBA Commissioner’s Cup

The sixth annual WNBA Commissioner’s Cup will be held from June 1st to 17th. The Indiana Fever won the competition in the previous season, defeating the Minnesota Lynx. The championship game is scheduled for June 30th.

All-Star Weekend and International Competition

All-Star Game

Chicago will host the 2026 WNBA All-Star Game on Saturday, July 25th, at the United Center.

FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup

The FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup will take place in Berlin, Germany, from September 4th to 13th. This will cause a brief pause in the WNBA season as players participate with their national teams. Team USA has won the last four World Cups, including the 2022 tournament.

Regular Season Finale and Playoffs

Regular Season End

The 44-game regular season will conclude on Thursday, September 24th, for all 15 teams.

Playoff Qualification

The WNBA playoffs will begin on Sunday, September 27th, with the top eight teams in the league qualifying for postseason play.