WNBA free agency primer: Where each team stands as most players hit the market in condensed 2026 offseason

The WNBA offseason is officially underway after the league and players union agreed to a collective bargaining agreement that ended more than 16 months of negotiations . All attention now turns to what will be a free agency bonanza unlike any ever seen in the league’s three decades. Every veteran is a free agent this offseason, with the exception of Kalani Brown and Lexie Brown.

Veterans signed deals that ended after the 2025 season to take advantage of higher salaries under the new CBA. Both the league and union proposed much larger player maximums than the previous high of $249,244. Team salary caps are also skyrocketing from the $1.

5 million max in 2025. Some key figures for free agency: The salary cap will rise from $1. 5M to $7M, a 466% jump Supermax contracts are up 561% to $1.

4M, from around $250K Minimum salaries above $300,000, with the average salary around $600,000 A large subset of players will opt to stay with their most recent teams, but nothing is guaranteed in a period that could see multiple “superteams” develop. The rise of offseason leagues like Unrivaled and Athletes Unlimited has allowed for more discussions and tryouts of pairings in anticipation of free agency. Yahoo Sports compiled a free agency refresher that includes players returning on contract, key unrestricted free agents and draft picks.