The WNBA is back for the 2026 season with a brand new collective bargaining agreement, a fresh media rights deal and rosters that look loaded from top to bottom. The league’s opening week begins Tuesday, May 12, with the Dallas Wings hosting the Atlanta Dream at 8 p.m. ET.
That opening night comes with the kind of buzz the league has been waiting to cash in on. Dallas top pick Azzi Fudd is part of a rookie class that also includes Minnesota’s Olivia Miles and Washington’s Lauren Betts, giving the new season immediate star power before a ball has been tipped.
The bigger backdrop is just as important. The WNBA is returning under a new collective bargaining agreement, a shift that gives the league a different labor footing as it starts a season that also arrives with a new media rights deal. Those two changes help frame why the 2026 campaign feels different before the first week is even over.
Then there is the chase at the top. The defending champion Las Vegas Aces are trying to keep their dynasty alive and go after a fourth title in five years, a standard that would keep the bar high for everyone else in the league. With contender-heavy rosters and a rookie class built to draw attention quickly, the race already looks crowded.
For Dallas and Atlanta, Tuesday night is the first real test of where teams stand once the talking stops. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET, and all times are Eastern and accurate as of Tuesday, May 12, 2026, at 6:08 a.m.
