Longer Seasons Incoming For WNBA, Seattle Storm Fans
Longer WNBA seasons are on the near horizon for Seattle Storm basketball fans.
The WNBA board of governors unanimously ratified the new collective bargaining agreement between the league and the players union on Tuesday, per the Associated Press, leaving just the long-form document to be written up before the agreement is finalized.
“This marks the beginning of a bold new era of the WNBA — one made possible by the passion and dedication of the players, team owners, fans, investors, partners and the entire WNBA family,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said, per the AP. “We remain focused on building on the unprecedented momentum around the league and preparing for our milestone 30th season, tipping off in May.”
Included in the new CBA, in addition to the landmark increases in salaries for players, is the framework for substantially longer seasons, per ESPN’s Alexa Philippou and Kendra Andrews.
The WNBA season currently consists of 44 games, with the latest possible end date under the previous CBA on Oct. 31. It will increase to 50 games in 2027 and then to 52 by 2029, with a latest possible end date of Nov. 21 — nearly a month longer than presently.
An extended season also brings an earlier reporting date, moving it to the later of April 15 or the start of training camp (previously May 1 or the start of camp), beginning in 2027. That could impact those playing overseas, including Project B, a new global startup league that has courted star WNBA players, which isn’t supposed to conclude its inaugural season until April 2027.
Thus, the new WNBA season parameters could create problems for the players. However, with the increased local salaries, fewer stars may feel the need to play year-round in global leagues.
It’s good news for Storm and WNBA fans. More basketball is coming down the pipeline, with a season that should extend nearly six months if the early May start date remains.
When compared to the NBA’s current 82-game season, it’ll be interesting to see if a sweetspot is found as the WNBA continues to add more games over the next decade or so. This is just the first of what will be many sequentially transformative CBA agreements between the WNBA and its players. As the money grows, the number of games is likely to grow with it.
Players will be making far more in 2026 than ever before, with the league’s first millionaires just from their WNBA playing salary set to be created. That’s a huge step that sets the league up for a limitless ceiling, especially if popularity continues trending upward.
Whether the players preferred the extended season and earlier report dates or not, it’s a product of being paid more and benefits the fans.
The Storm will play 23 home games at Climate Pledge Arena in 2026, including their lone preseason game on Wednesday, April 29, against the brand new Portland Fire. In 2027, the number of home games is projected to be 25, not including preseason.
The WNBA hasn’t put out the exact timeline for the rest of the offseason yet, but it should begin to kick off with expansion drafts in early April, before free agency starts the second week of the month.
