A Christmas tree with WNBA-style ornaments? Count us in.
To everyone inside and outside of our hoops family, we wish you a Happy Holidays, Season’s Greetings, Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Happy Kwanzaa and a joyous New Year!
The end of the year is always a time to look ahead to the upcoming 12 months – as well as to look back on the 12 months that were the previous year. As topsy turvy as 2025 was – even within our women’s basketball family, there are plenty of hoop-related items that were on our Christmas lists for 2025.
Without further ado, here are those five things. We promise we’ve been good this year, Santa. After all, we at Beyond the W always leave you milk and cookies.
A Fair and Equitable CBA
The one item at the top of every WNBA fan’s list is an obvious one.
Ever since the 2025 season concluded with the Las Vegas Aces prevailing over the Phoenix Mercury in a WNBA Finals sweep, this offseason has been brought to us by the letters C, B and A.
Even with a couple of negotiation extensions being agreed upon between the W and its players, it appears said negotiations have been at a standstill.
The WNBPA looks like it is holding firm on its demands for a higher share of league revenues – and are even prepared to go on strike if necessary.
It is not only enough for there to be a new collective bargaining agreement that merely maintains the status quo in regards to how much money is received by the players. The current crop of players have brought more eyeballs to the WNBA than ever before – and the league’s owners (or governors in WNBA speak) need to understand this and be grateful for this current boom period the sport is experiencing.
The last thing the WNBA needs is for stubborn owners to stall its momentum – because they will be deservedly blamed if that is indeed the case.
WNBA in New England
There are many WNBA fans that want to see the league make its triumphant return to Houston. But the process in which the Connecticut Sun are being sold is making us a bit ill.
Latest reports indicate that Houston is the favorite to land the Sun franchise. Despite initial attempts by the Mohegan Tribe to sell to a Boston-based owner, Boston is essentially being punished by the WNBA only because it did not apply for an expansion franchise.
Even though it would make no sense for Boston to apply for expansion given the presence of the Sun – and the franchise marketing itself as a New England franchise.
Houston absolutely deserves the Comets back – but it should not occur at the risk of New England – which is very passionate about basketball – becoming potentially apathetic to if the W were to bestow a franchise onto Boston in the future. Not to mention Tilman Fertitta’s political ties.
Between this and the ongoing CBA brouhaha, commissioner Cathy Engelbert has done plenty this year to get on the naughty list.
More Opportunities for Black Women Coaches
Jose Fernandez is now the head coach of the Dallas Wings – a positive step in terms of diversity.
Sonia Raman is now the head coach of the Seattle Storm – a positive step in terms of diversity.
Sydney Johnson and Tyler Marsh are head coaches of the Washington Mystics and Chicago Sky, respectively – positive steps in terms of diversity.
Natalie Nakase, last season’s Coach of the Year, is head coach of the Golden State Valkyries – a positive step in terms of diversity.
There is also Stephanie White at the Indiana Fever, Sandy Brondello at the Toronto Tempo and Lynne Roberts at the Los Angeles Sparks. And, of course, Cheryl Reeve at the Minnesota Lynx and, of course, Becky Hammon at the Aces.
But one thing that we cannot get past is the upcoming season – pending a new CBA being agreed upon – will be one where zero of the team’s head coaches will be Black women.
Compare and contrast this to Unrivaled – whose season tips off in a couple of weeks – where five of its eight teams (Hive BC, Breeze BC, Phantom BC, Vinyl BC and Rose BC) will be coached by Black women.
More Cities Having Opportunities to Host All-Star Weekend
The 2026 season is slated to see All-Star festivities take place in Chicago. The 2022 version of WNBA All-Star weekend last took place in the Second City.
If done right – and not haphazardly as was the case in 2022 – an All-Star weekend in the Windy City could be epic. While Chicago definitely deserves an opportunity to be the epicenter of the women’s basketball universe for a weekend, there are plenty of other cities that deserve to host.
This one is not on the WNBA. As Annie Costabile reported in Front Office Sports, Chicago was the only city that actually put forth a bid for All-Star weekend. The WNBA basically gave All-Star 2025 to Indianapolis sans a more traditional bidding process, said that same report.
This is something that deserves to be talked about – and the commissioner should be asked about – as there are plenty of cities such as New York (Brooklyn), Los Angeles, San Francisco and Atlanta that would make excellent All-Star hosts.
For Fans Not to Be Priced Out
The WNBA is in higher demand than it has ever been before. The consequences of this can be good – and bad.
There are many teams whose season ticket price increases have garnered plenty of attention – notably those of the New York Liberty and Chicago Sky.
Increasing the price of season tickets may seem like a good idea on the surface. The problem with this is WNBA teams running the risk of pricing out fans that have stuck with said respective teams through thick and thin.
This is especially the case for the Liberty which has established, arguably the best in-game experience in the entire WNBA (even though there is an argument to be made for Ballhalla as well).
It is part of a larger discussion on how the WNBA appears to be in the throes of an identity crisis as it looks to market its sport to a more upscale, suburban audience. The W needs to understand simply because it wants a new breed of fans that it means forgetting those who have been, as Jey and Jimmy Uso would say, down since day one ish (yeet).
