The WNBA officially dropped its 2026 schedule, marking a milestone 30th season for a league that finds itself in a bizarre state of limbo. While Commissioner Cathy Engelbert and the Players’ Association have yet to ink a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), leaving the actual start date technically in jeopardy, the league decided to move forward anyway.
This proactive release is a clear signal to sponsors and broadcasters that the show must go on. The 2026 campaign is set to be the biggest yet, featuring 15 teams following the arrival of the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire. This expansion has triggered a frantic logistical puzzle, including a second consecutive expansion draft and a free-agency period that promises to be nothing short of chaotic once the labor dispute is settled.
Indiana Fever are Playing in Fewer NBA Arenas this Year
In a surprising twist, Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever will actually see a significant decrease in arena-relocation games this season. After playing nine games in larger venues last year, that number has been slashed to just four for 2026.
The Fever will still make “big stage” appearances at the T-Mobile Arena (Vegas), United Center (Chicago), Scotiabank Arena (Toronto), and American Airlines Center (Dallas), but the reduced schedule suggests that teams are being more cautious with their gate projections. The reason? A sobering reality check from 2025. While Clark remains the league’s ultimate ticket magnet, averaging over 15,800 fans on the road, her injury-riddled rookie campaign left many venues in a tough spot.
Last year, several games sold out months in advance based on the “Clark Effect,” only for her to be sidelined for all but 13 games. Before she was shut down, she was averaging a stellar 16.5 points and 8.8 assists, proving she belonged, but her absence made the massive arena overhead harder to justify for some front offices this time around.
It’s an uncomfortable middle ground: the league knows the world wants to see Clark, but after 2025, they are no longer willing to bet the house on her 40-game availability until she proves her health is back to 100%.
The Toronto Tempo Take Center stage in the WNBA
With more teams on the map, the league is leaning heavily into “big venue” events. A total of 19 regular-season games have been moved to larger, NBA-sized arenas this year, a jump from the 15 relocations we saw in 2025. The driving force behind this shift isn’t just the established stars, but the newcomers.
The Toronto Tempo, for instance, are already acting like a veteran franchise, scheduling five home games outside their usual Coca-Cola Coliseum. This includes high-profile takeovers of Montreal’s Bell Centre and Vancouver’s Rogers Arena, venues capable of housing nearly 20,000 fans.
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