{"id":83,"date":"2026-05-08T21:04:50","date_gmt":"2026-05-08T21:04:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arizonamovinginsider.com\/?p=83"},"modified":"2026-05-08T21:04:50","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T21:04:50","slug":"wnbas-30th-season-brings-new-teams-and-transformational-cba","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arizonamovinginsider.com\/?p=83","title":{"rendered":"WNBA\u2019s 30th season brings new teams and transformational CBA"},"content":{"rendered":"
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PHOENIX \u2014 The WNBA is poised for a historic 30th season after a transformational new collective bargaining agreement was reached in March.<\/p>\n

Read more Arizona Science Center\u2019s new experience features Bad Bunny\u2019s music and visuals of Puerto Rico<\/a><\/p>\n

Now the league can focus on the play on the court which will feature the Las Vegas Aces looking for a fourth championship in five years, the return of Caitlin Clark after she missed most of last season with injuries, and the debut of expansion teams the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo.<\/p>\n

The Aces have their core intact from last season’s title run, including four-time league MVP A’ja Wilson. She was picked by a national media panel as the preseason AP Player of the Year. She became the highest-paid player in WNBA history, earning a $5 million supermax contract extension over the next three years.<\/p>\n

Las Vegas has won three of the last four championships with New York taking home the crown in 2024.<\/p>\n

The Liberty look poised to challenge the Aces again with their Big Three of Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones and Sabrina Ionescu all returning. Ionescu will miss at least the first couple of weeks of the season with a foot injury she suffered in the preseason finale over the weekend.<\/p>\n

The Liberty added All-Star Satou Sabally from Phoenix in free agency and made a coaching change after last season’s first-round exit in the playoffs. They replaced Sandy Brondello with former Golden State Warriors assistant Chris DeMarco. He’s one of five new head coaches in the league.<\/p>\n

Brondello didn\u2019t stay unemployed long as she is the head coach of the Tempo \u2014 the league\u2019s first team outside of the United States.<\/p>\n

Clark played in only 13 games last year after a series of injuries cut short her sophomore season. The Indiana Fever star spent the offseason getting healthy and stronger and is ready to go.<\/p>\n

Here are a few other tidbits for the upcoming season:<\/p>\n

Free agent movement<\/h4>\n

While 80% of the players were free agents this offseason with the expected payday of the new CBA, a handful changed teams with coming home a major reason why.<\/p>\n

Read more ASU basketball coach Randy Bennett is diving into his \u2018dream job\u2019 following health issue<\/a><\/p>\n

Nneka Ogwumike returned to Los Angeles, Skylar Diggins went to Chicago, putting her closer to her hometown of South Bend, Indiana. Sabally came to New York where she was born.<\/p>\n

Sunset season<\/h4>\n

The Sun will play their final season in Connecticut as the franchise will move to Houston next year after the team was sold to Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta. Connecticut has said that it will honor its past players and coaches over the course of the season. This will end a 23-year run by the team in New England after moving to Connecticut from Orlando in 2003.<\/p>\n

Injured Lynx<\/h4>\n

Lynx star Napheesa Collier, who was the runner-up in MVP voting last year, will be out until at least early June while she recovers from ankle surgery she had in March. Collier also had surgery on her right ankle in early January.<\/p>\n

\u201cRight now, I\u2019m just working as fast as I can with my doctors and my (physical therapy) staff, just trying to get back on the court,\u201d Collier told reporters in training camp. \u201cBut everything is going well, so you\u2019ll see me soon.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Lynx will rely on rookie Olivia Miles, who was the No. 2 pick in the WNBA draft last month. She was picked as the AP preseason Rookie of the Year.<\/p>\n

Tune-in<\/h4>\n

A record 216 WNBA regular-season games and events will be available on multiple broadcast platforms throughout the year. The league will have games on ABC\/ESPN, CBS, Amazon Prime Video, ION, NBC, USA Sports and NBA TV.<\/p>\n

Predicted order of finish<\/h4>\n

Las Vegas was the preseason No. 1 team in the AP WNBA power poll, which is in its 10th season, The Liberty were second. New York was followed by Atlanta, Indiana, Los Angeles, Minnesota and Phoenix. Dallas was eighth with Golden State ninth. Chicago, Washington, Toronto, Seattle, Connecticut and Portland rounded out the poll. ___<\/p>\n

Read more Suspect faces 5 years in unsolved 2021 disappearance of Navajo elder Ella Mae Begay<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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