WNBA 2026 Season
The WNBA's landmark 30th season expands to 15 teams with the debut of the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire, and the return of a healthy Caitlin Clark for the Indiana Fever. It tipped off May 8, 2026, over a 44-game schedule.
The context
The 2026 WNBA season is a milestone campaign. Marking the league’s 30th anniversary, it expands to 15 teams with two debut franchises: the Toronto Tempo, the WNBA’s first team based outside the United States, and the Portland Fire, reviving a name that last played in 2002. The regular season tipped off on May 8, 2026, and runs 44 games per team through the summer.
Star power is central to the story. Caitlin Clark returned healthy for the Indiana Fever after an injury-hit previous year, and her rivalry with Angel Reese’s Chicago Sky, meeting three times in 2026, remains one of the sport’s biggest draws. Record crowds, a broad national TV package and sustained cultural attention have made the women’s game a genuine mainstream event.
At the business end, the top eight teams by record reach the playoffs regardless of conference, seeded one to eight, with best-of-three, best-of-five and best-of-seven rounds culminating in the WNBA Finals. Between expansion, anniversary spotlight and its brightest young stars, 2026 is shaping up as the WNBA’s biggest season yet.