The CBA talks overshadowed all the basketball excitement. During that period, the Mist BC won the Unrivaled League, Odyssey Sims won the AU Championship, and many megastars signed multiple branding deals. But the WNBA and WNBPA are still on the same page – leaving a mystery about the start of the 2026 season. VP Breanna Stewart is not very confident, though.
The three-time champion is looking forward to the start of the season and plays a key role in the CBA discussions as VP of the WNBPA. Although she had been providing positive updates until now, the player recently raised a question about meeting the deadlines and also starting the season on time.
Breanna Stewart Raises Question On 2026 Season Start Date
The league proposed May 8 as the start date of the season, releasing a complete schedule that also included the FIBA World Cup competition starting in September 2026. The team booked venues, broadcasters started advertising, and even the few media outlets began drafting players in their mock drafts.
The Liberty forward, though, is unsure of the season’s start date. In a recent interview, she gave a 50% chance to the possibility, as she said, “Honestly, I’m 50/50. I just think it’ll be tight. And hopefully, we do come to a resolution sooner than later.”
Breanna Stewart '50/50' on whether WNBA season will start without delay as soft deadline nears https://t.co/OBS16f64xx pic.twitter.com/q7N6VOtDzx
— New York Post (@nypost) March 8, 2026
According to the WNBA and the players’ union, they remain at odds over revenue-sharing percentages, the salary cap, core designation, and league prioritization, among other things. The difference cut down till now is minimal, while the remaining part is very huge, which might even cancel the season altogether.
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As for Stewart, her Turnkey move raised alarms for WNBA CBA negotiations, as the player was set to miss the ‘start of the season’. It is not only that she is ‘negative’ about the CBA talks, but she also offered a solution she believes would resolve the issue quickly.
Breanna Stewart Hands Quick Fix For CBA Delay
While attending USA Basketball’s training camp and guiding the young players, the veteran forward also provided guidance on the CBA talks, which would fix the issue.
Stewie said, “I think that would be great for us all to sit in a room until we really get it done. If that means sitting in there for hours and hours at a time, let’s do it. That’s for the better of the player. While a situation like that has never happened before, there’s a first time for everything.”
Ironically, she wrote a letter, along with Kelsey Plum, to the WNBPA’s higher authorities, complaining about the organization’s working conditions.