When Becky Hammon, Cheryl Reeve, Stephanie White and Sandy Brondello reflected on the WNBA entering its 30th season, which officially tips off Friday, May 8, a common theme emerged: the league has evolved dramatically since its inaugural season in 1997, not just in the quality of play, but also in the level of respect afforded to women’s basketball after decades of doubt, mockery, and vitriol.
“It feels like it was just yesterday when I was in the league in the early 2000s and how difficult it was to be in the WNBA and the lack of belief around us,” Reeve said.
But now the league is at a “different crossroads” according to Hammon. In 2026, the league is a symbol of the progress of women’s sports. “The WNBA is such a movement at the moment,” Brondello added.
White explained it as a confluence between “casual fans” and the die-hard group that’s been involved in the grassroots movement that is women’s professional basketball.
“We still have the grassroots mentality of how we interact with the fan,” White said. “How we interact with the community, how we give back to the community. And I think that’s something that’s always special about women’s sport and the WNBA in particular.”
The WNBA’s 30th season will be about balancing the league’s history with the bold changes which could define its future. We’ll see everything from new media partners and expansion teams, the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo, to new player stories to follow. There’s a new class of dynamic rookies and veterans who switched teams during the league’s most compressed free agency period in recent memory.
Additionally, the league will be functioning with a brand new set of rules as this is the first season operating under its groundbreaking collective bargaining agreement. Not only are players earning much larger salaries in 2026 and beyond, but more players will have opportunities to grow their careers in the league. The CBA added two new developmental spots on teams that don’t count against the salary cap and that can be activated to play in a limited amount of games.
We can also expect a different type of conversation surrounding officiating this season after WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced on draft night that a State of the Game Council had been created to address the physicality of the game and officiating standards.
SCHEDULE: Check out the full WNBA on NBC, Peacock slate of games
Ways the WNBA’s legacy will be honored
The league’s three original franchises (Los Angeles Sparks, Phoenix Mercury and New York Liberty) will be centerpieces of how the league is celebrating its 30th season. The three teams will be involved in the league’s “Court Origins” program, which includes matchups and specific nights where the teams will wear throwback jerseys from Nike, as well as a limited edition basketball from Wilson with 1997-era branding.
For Season 30, we're throwing it back with Court Origins. @WilsonBasktball 's retro-inspired basketball is available now and @nike's Court Origins Edition jerseys featuring the Los Angeles Sparks, New York Liberty, and Phoenix Mercury drop May 21.
— WNBA (@WNBA) April 24, 2026
Then, watch the legacy come… pic.twitter.com/Xr6G1mBa38
The “Court Origins” matchups will be played in June, August and September, and that will feature a game between the Liberty and Sparks on June 21 in Los Angeles, the exact date, location and matchup of the first WNBA game played ever back in 1997 which aired on NBC.
The WNBA’s 30-year history will also be highlighted with a special “Legacy Trail” merchandise program throughout the season in addition to a series where the W highlights the top 30 plays in league history.
The league’s legacy won’t only be honored through its original franchises, but also in saying goodbye to the Connecticut Sun, a franchise that helped capitalize on UConn women’s basketball fandom while expanding the league’s reach across New England. 2026 will mark the Sun’s final season before the organization moves to Houston and changes ownership to hopefully revive the brand of the original franchise, the Houston Comets.
New developments to watch
- Speaking of the Sun and the Comets, Houston native and league mainstay Brittney Griner signed with Connecticut during free agency with the intention to be able to play for the team she grew up watching when the Sun move in 2027. Griner will be the centerpiece of the Sun’s offense which is also headlined by younger players including Saniya Rivers, Aneesah Morrow and Leïla Lacan.
- Besides Griner there are a bunch of notable players who changed teams in the rapid free agency period. Free agency effectively kicked off with a blockbuster trade rather than a signing. Angel Reese, one of the most recognizable names in all of sports, was traded from the Sky to the Atlanta Dream. Reese’s addition as the best rebounder in the league along with her untapped potential as a 24-year-old will allow for the Dream to be a contender for years to come.
- After helping the Mercury reach the 2025 WNBA Finals, Satou Sabally signed a multi-year deal with the Liberty, reuniting with former college teammate Sabrina Ionescu as New York looks to bounce back from a disappointing first-round playoff exit.
- The Golden State Valkyries signed perennial defensive player of the year candidate Gabby Williams, after she spent four seasons in Seattle with the Storm, to anchor a top-four defense from a season ago. While on the subject of defense, the Dallas Wings signed 2025 co-defensive player of the year Alanna Smith to a multi-year deal while also pulling off a coup that stole away half of the Minnesota Lynx’s 2025 front court. Jessica Shepard also signed with the Wings.
- The intrigue in the WNBA this season doesn’t stop with the carousel of established players changing teams. This season’s rookie class is headlined by the top two picks in the draft in Azzi Fudd and Olivia Miles. Both Fudd and Miles are expected to get ample playing time on their respective teams in addition to the high-profile rookies Flau’jae Johnson and Awa Fam on the Seattle Storm and UCLA star and Most Outstanding Player in the NCAA tournament Lauren Betts on the Washington Mystics.
Something that not just the rookies in the WNBA will have to adjust to is how the game will be officiated. Fudd recently noted after a preseason game how confused she was by how many fouls were called. “I thought you could be physical in the W,” she said.
Azzi Fudd had her teammates laughing when she was asked about how she’s adjusting to the physicality in the WNBA:
— Melissa Triebwasser (@TheCoachMelissa) May 4, 2026
“Honestly I’m more confused. I thought you could be physical in the W and anytime you touch someone, it’s a foul.”
Jessica Shepherd and Aziaha James joked that she… pic.twitter.com/HfzC7yGNkT
Fudd’s observation is the result of work that has been done behind the scenes by the State of the Game Council where stakeholders including WNBA coaches and executives were meeting to address the physicality issues that have plagued the league over the past couple of seasons especially after Lynx star Napheesa Collier was injured on a play during last season’s semifinals that should have been called a foul.
Reeve, the Lynx’s head coach, was very candid in her criticism of the league and how it’s been officiated. She reflected on the work the council has done so far in a national Zoom call on Tuesday afternoon, and expressed how coaches have been advocating in particular for more freedom of movement rather than a game with loads of unnecessary physical contact.
“It may take us a little while to really calibrate and get where we want to be,” Reeve said. “We’ve seen a lot of fouls being called. What we’ve committed to is the sort of the stewards of the game that we know that players are smart and they’ll adjust. We don’t want the level of physicality that we’ve seen in our game, and so I’m confident that the game is going to therefore be more fluid, freedom of movement. We play beautiful basketball in the WNBA.”
And for a league entering its 30th season, the goal should be that the basketball played is beautiful.
