The WNBA starts the second half of its schedule Tuesday, with three teams emerging as the most likely to contend for the championship: the Minnesota Lynx, New York Liberty and Phoenix Mercury.
The biggest question at a league level will be answered off the court: Can the WNBA and the players' association reach a collective bargaining agreement this calendar year — or at least by January? With the expansion draft for the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo, plus an enormous free agency period coming in 2026, having a CBA in place sooner than later is important.
Players put the labor negotiations in the spotlight over the weekend in Indianapolis, discussing the CBA during every media availability and wearing T-shirts that read «Pay Us What You Owe Us» at Saturday's All-Star Game. The players seem focused on courting public opinion and have strong support among fans, though it may not impact how the WNBA and its ownership approach negotiations.
So far, conversations have gone as expected; neither side has put all of its cards on the table yet. We will be monitoring how much closer the two sides can get this summer and into the fall.
There are also questions facing every team following the All-Star break, so let's run through the biggest for each as the back half of the season begins.
Previous ranking: 1
Next seven days: vs. CHI (July 22), vs. LV (July 25), vs. ATL (July 27)
Will the offense be enough to sustain the Lynx for a championship run? They have the second-best scoring average in the WNBA (84.7 PPG) while holding opponents to a league-low 75 PPG. In short, both their offense and defense have been very reliable, but coach Cheryl Reeve likely has concern for the potential vulnerability of the offense — especially if foes
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