As CBA negotiations linger, how are WNBA GMs preparing for 2026 season?

"This really applies to everything. You do as much as you can, you create as many different scenarios as possible. So that when we are ready to go, you're in a good spot to move really quickly. General managers must prepare contingency plans across all personnel decisions since the CBA agreement timing remains uncertain."

"I wasn't shocked by them setting a date. I will say I was surprised it was the first time they had used the timeline as a negotiation tactic. It's like, what? You're doing this in late February? We have been doing the reverse engineering math internally and thought the date would be way sooner. Like 10 days to a week earlier around NBA All-Star. We thought there was no way we could squeeze everything in in this timeline."

The WNBA and its players' union are negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement that will introduce historic changes, including the first million-dollar player salaries. This extended negotiation period has created significant uncertainty for team owners, players, and especially general managers who must prepare for multiple simultaneous events: a two-team expansion draft, free agency, and the college draft. General managers are currently operating in a theoretical planning mode, evaluating college and overseas talent while developing multiple roster scenarios for 2026. The league set a March 10 deadline for CBA agreement to prevent schedule delays, though some GMs believe this timeline is unrealistic given the compressed preparation period required once negotiations conclude.

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