The WNBA playoffs begin Sunday, concluding an eventful 2026 season that saw the league's first players earn seven-figure salaries under a new collective bargaining agreement.
A'ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Paige Bueckers, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese are among the stars competing for a championship. The agreement that took effect this year also triggered a major reshuffling of top talent through free agency, a shift fans had feared might be derailed by labor negotiations.
Off the court, the league announced this month it is searching for a new commissioner as Cathy Engelbert plans her retirement at year's end. Front office roles in the WNBA have become highly sought-after positions in professional sports.
The league's valuations have quadrupled since 2024. The Golden State Valkyries, valued at $850 million, enter the playoffs as the No. 2 seed in only their second season. The New York Liberty hold a $600 million valuation and are the No. 8 seed. The Indiana Fever are valued at $560 million and secured the No. 6 seed. The Atlanta Dream are the No. 4 seed and valued at $280 million, while the Dallas Wings are the No. 7 seed at $325 million.
The league plans to add at least three more franchises through 2030.
A championship for the Dream would boost forward Angel Reese, a frontrunner for Defensive Player of the Year. A title for the Wings would cement guard Paige Bueckers' standing and marketing potential.
The incoming commissioner will also inherit intensified political and cultural pressures. Caitlin Clark has become a focal point after some Republican members of Congress petitioned the WNBA to defend her from what they characterized as targeted violence by opponents. The Fever stated that neither the team nor Clark was involved with the petition.
Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas, suspended for one game after receiving a flagrant foul for physical play against Clark this season, said Commissioner Engelbert has not done enough to protect players from hate speech and harassment off the court.
The issue of transgender women in the WNBA has emerged as a political flashpoint, despite the league currently having no transgender players or a policy governing their participation eligibility. Fever guard Sophie Cunningham has publicly supported a ban on transgender players.
Two former NBA players have announced their intention to identify as women and declare for the 2027 WNBA Draft, citing in part a desire to compel the league to clarify its eligibility policy.
The Fever, making their third consecutive playoff appearance, topped the 100-point mark in 16 games this season, a WNBA record.
