2026 WNBA Season Preview: One big question for every team
A look around the league in advance of the start of the 2026 WNBA season.
www.nbcsports.comThe WNBA entered the 2026 season following a record-setting year for attendance, continuing a sustained rise in fan interest across the league. Public reporting around the 2025 season indicated the league surpassed 2.5 million total attendees across 226 games, setting a new single-season benchmark for the 13-team league. The increase reflected several consecutive years of stronger arena crowds and broader national visibility.
League officials released the full 2026 schedule early in the year as preparations continued for the WNBA’s upcoming thirtieth season. The schedule arrived before a new collective bargaining agreement and final roster movement had been completed, leaving some uncertainty around team lineups and long-term labor discussions. Even so, franchises continued promoting expanded home schedules and premium matchups in larger venues.
Attendance momentum has been driven in part by recent star-powered rookie classes and heightened television exposure. Players such as Caitlin Clark helped attract larger audiences during the 2024 and 2025 cycles, with several teams moving high-demand games into NBA-sized arenas to accommodate ticket demand. Analysts expect marquee matchups, growing media coverage, and continued investment in arena experiences to remain central factors shaping WNBA attendance trends throughout 2026.