So... Now What for the WNBA?

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Curious about Unrivaled? Our guide to why you should watch the 3-on-3 league will help you get the most out of season two.

What to Know About Women’s Basketball Today

The WNBA’s current Collective Bargaining Agreement officially expired over the weekend. Negotiations are still ongoing, but for now, the league is basically in a waiting game. (SB Nation)

WHY IT MATTERS: While players have authorized a potential strike, a work stoppage is widely seen as a last resort on both sides. The bigger impact right now is the pause button that’s been hit on the offseason. In a normal year, we’d already have an expansion draft for Toronto and Portland, and free agency would be underway. Instead, everything is stuck in neutral.

Teams can technically issue qualifying offers to free agents and core designations, but players aren’t expected to sign anything while negotiations continue. There’s a shared understanding among players to wait.

In the meantime, the WNBPA has rolled out Player Hubs, a global network of training sites across the U.S. and Spain, giving players access to courts, weight rooms, and recovery spaces if team facilities become unavailable or free agency drags on.

Unrivaled’s season-opening games averaged 175K viewers in the primetime window and 107K in the afternoon, both down from last year’s opening night (313K) and regular-season average (208K). (The Athletic)

WHY IT MATTERS: These aren’t great numbers for opening weekend, especially with fresh star power like Paige Bueckers, Sonia Citron, and Dominique Malonga in the mix. That said, it’s too early to panic. Unrivaled had an objectively strong debut season in 2025, driven by the excitement of seeing the world’s best players come together in a new format. That novelty was always going to wear off a bit in Year 2.

Context also matters here. The sports calendar is packed right now with the NFL and college football playoffs, and the uncertainty around the WNBA’s CBA negotiations may be pulling some attention away from the women’s basketball as a whole.

JuJu Watkins became the first athlete in Sierra Canyon history to have her jersey retired, and was celebrated in front of a packed gym filled with family, friends, and fans. (Sports Illustrated)

👉 See photos from the ceremony

WHY IT MATTERS: Sierra Canyon has produced tons of talent, such as NBA players Marvin Bagley III, Amari Bailey, Bronny James, and Scotty Pippen Jr., and WNBA standout Kennedy Burke. Having Watkins be the first to get her jersey retired says a lot.

During her time there, she collected both Gatorade National Player of the Year and Naismith National Player of the Year honors, then closed out her high school career in unforgettable fashion with a 60-point senior night, breaking her own school scoring record.