With the WNBA and its Players Association having agreed in principle to a new collective bargaining agreement, those of us within the W sphere can return to pondering questions that we typically do around this time of year.
Considering how the CBA talks were unfolding for much of the offseason, the question of if we would even have a regular season was a fair query to ponder. The two sides finding common settles a major item on the wish lists of players and league, but it has opened the floodgates to what will be a whirlwind of an April.
Here are five burning questions related to our beloved W now that we are past the CBA snafu.
Where Will the Draft Take Place?
We know the names that will be on the WNBA’s draft board when we arrive at said occasion. UCLA’s Lauren Betts, Gabriela Jaquez, Kiki Rice and Gianna Kneepkens. Spain’s Awa Fam. UConn’s Azzi Fudd. South Carolina’s Ta’Niya Latson, Raven Johnson and Madina Okot. LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson. TCU’s Olivia Miles. Ole Miss’ Cotie McMahon. Tennessee’s Janiah Barker.
With all of the intrigue surrounding this year’s draft, we have forgot something – where will the draft take place?
Obviously, the draft will emanate somewhere in the New York City area. After all, that is where the WNBA is headquartered. But which location? Previous drafts have taken place such as Nike’s HQ to the Brooklyn Academy of Music to The Shed on Manhattan’s West side – which is where last year’s draft took place.
We at Beyond The W ask this question in regards to expansion, but it also applies to the draft – Where To, W?
Who Gets Supermax Contracts?
With $1.4 million being the new normal for WNBA’s supermax contracts, a topic of discussion among many a fan is which teams will bestow these deals upon which players.
There already is a report out of Las Vegas indicating that Mark Davis wants to talk supermax turkey with A’ja Wilson. If any player is deserving of a supermax contract, it is the woman who the nucleus of the juggernaut that is the Aces.
When looking at the laundry list of free agents, one would think Breanna Stewart is also worthy of a supermax deal with the New York Liberty. This may especially considering she is coming off leading her Misties to the 2026 Unrivaled championship and winning MVP honors.
Napheesa Collier has also proven herself more than worthy of a supermax contract. She is the featured player of a Minnesota Lynx team that has put itself back firmly in the contenders’ chat the last several years and nearly won a championship in 2024. Alyssa Thomas should also be in the supermax conversation considering she is a triple-double Engine.
Thankfully for Wilson, Stewie, Phee and AT, the Aces, Liberty, Lynx and Mercury have owners that believe in investing big money into their teams.
What Will the All-Star Logo Look Like?
With the CBA drama behind us, we can look ahead to the 2026 WNBA season – which will include the All-Star Game returning to Chicago for the first time since 2022.
The missteps that followed that 2022 All-Star weekend have been well-documented and the fact that the game itself will occur on primetime at the United Center is a step in the right direction. But – we are particularly interest in what the All-Star Game logo will resemble.
The 2022, 2023 (Las Vegas) and 2024 (Phoenix) WNBA All-Star logos were creative and one could tell where those festivities were being held simply because of the effort put into those logos. Last year’s for Indianapolis did not have the same aura.
One could not detect any “Indiana” in last season’s All-Star logo. It looked generic in the same disturbing way that NBA All-Star logos have looked recently. We joked that the logo would have been better off if it was a silhouette of Caitlin Clark.
Hopefully, the 2026 logo looks more like those 2022, 2023 and 2024 versions. Cathy Engelbert may have a bigger problem on her hands than pondering logos – getting teams to bid on All-Star.
There was a report that suggested the WNBA approached the Indiana Fever about hosting last year’s All-Star weekend because there were no takers. Chicago was reportedly the only bidder for 2026.
One thing is certain – Summertime Chi will be more of a thing even that what it typically is between All-Star weekend in July and the opening of the Obama Presidential Center the month before.
By the way, Engelbert, the Obama Center will include a basketball court. If Engelbert is smart – and we know she is – she is talking with the Obama Foundation about a WNBA Cares event at the Center sometime that late July weekend.
What Will Our 15 Teams Look Like?
It is easy to assume contender status for teams such as the Aces, Liberty, Fever, Mercury and Lynx because of what those squads accomplished last year.
But with almost the entire league about to test the free agent waters, it is a fair question as to who will be true contenders and pretenders. After the amazing season the Golden State Valkyries had as an expansion franchise, one may think many a free agent will look at Ballhalla as an attractive destination.
Not only do we not know what our incumbent 13 teams will look like but we have zero idea as to what this year’s two expansion franchises – the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire – will look like. We will know that for sure when both Tempo and Fire stage their expansion drafts next month.
Do You Know What Today Is?
Once the CBA is officially ratified, expect the WNBA’s social media accounts to make a very snazzy reveal considering the W is celebrating its Stewie year. This could also be the case for the four remaining Original Eight franchises in the Liberty, Mercury, Aces (the former Utah Starzz) and the Los Angeles Sparks.
Every year whenever the W or the NBA reaches an anniversary with “5” or “0” at the end, it reveals its list of its greatest players of all time corresponding to said anniversary.
With the WNBA turning 30 this year, expect for the WNBA to unveil its list of its 30 greatest of all time. Which new names will be on that list? Wilson is a lock – but there will be much debate as to which new names will also be on the W’s 30 for 30.
