The WNBA and its players' union reached a new collective bargaining agreement granting players pay raises before the start of the league's 30th season in 2026. Negotiations between the two sides had threatened to delay or cancel the upcoming season.

"The 30th season is a transformational moment and the beginning of a new era," said Cathy Engelbert, commissioner of the WNBA. The league was founded in April 1996 with backing from the NBA and held its inaugural season in 1997, following the U.S. women's gold medal win at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

The first WNBA game was played between the Los Angeles Sparks and the New York Liberty. Three of the original eight teams—the Liberty, the Phoenix Mercury and the Sparks—remain active in their initial cities. On opening night of the 2026 season, the Liberty wore a uniform referencing their history as one of the league's eight founding members when they hosted the Connecticut Sun.

The league has expanded to 15 teams for the 2026 season. The owners of the Portland Fire paid an initial $75 million in 2024 to join the WNBA for the 2026 season, while the Toronto Tempo were charged $50 million for their expansion franchise. The Golden State Valkyries paid $50 million for their expansion franchise, which began play in 2025. By comparison, the National Women's Soccer League charged Columbus a record $205 million for an expansion franchise that will begin play in 2028.

The Valkyries set a WNBA record for average home game attendance of 18,064 in their inaugural 2025 season, compared with the league's average of 11,148 the previous season. The franchise sold more than 12,000 season tickets for the 2026 season and established a waitlist. The value of a WNBA franchise in Houston has increased by 1,900% in under 20 years.

The WNBA has been reported as an annual money-losing league. "The two leagues are one integrated business," said Adam Silver, NBA commissioner.

"The WNBA's growth is important because it changes the baseline perception of women's sport. It signals to investors, sponsors, and media partners that women's sports are credible, scalable and commercially viable," said Katie Lebel, a sports business professor at the University of Guelph.