The 2026 season of the WNBA will witness a total of two new teams joining. However, with all the back-and-forth happening around the CBA at the moment, the timely start of the season looks quite in jeopardy. With the stalemate still not cleared, Nneka Ogwumime recently lashed out at the WNBA for coming unprepared to the meeting.
Now then, as time is ticking away, the situation is getting intense. With the possibility of a lockout looming large, there seems to be a particular group of players who might have to worry about their future. Speaking on the topic, WNBA insider Annie Costabile had a lot to say.
Annie Costabile Shares Concerning Update About What Comes Next For WNBA Free Agents
The 2026 WNBA season is less than 100 days away at the moment. And the fact that the players do not have a concrete CBA agreement in their hands is shocking. Reflecting on the situation, Annie Costabile pointed out how the free agents will be suffering the most.
“Free agency in the WNBA is unique. It’s always been a sprint… What we’ve seen in the years since is that between mid-January to the first week of February, free agency is popping. And so I think that the league is betting, or there’s a sense that free agency has always gone super quick. But to your point, the difference here is there are so many more free agents, and they are the people that are going to be most impacted,” said Costabile.
She further added,“Kahleah Copper said this during the first week of Unrivaled, is that our free agency experience is going to be impacted because how are we going to go visit teams and talk to teams?”
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Costabile definitely has a point here. For the big names like Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark, and more, the financial damage will be minimal. They will have their brand deals and other assets to stem the bleeding. Meanwhile, with the situation getting worse, Sophie Cunningham shared a stern message for Cathy Engelbert.
Sophie Cunningham Lashes Out At WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert
The WNBA and the WNBPA are drifting further away. With every meeting and discussion going in vain so far, the league is running the risk of work stoppage. Till now, the CBA deadline has been pushed back three times. Reflecting on the situation, Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham asked Engelbert to come forward and take charge in a positive manner.
“Any time you are in a position of leadership, yes, but just like to influence and empower other people, for some reason our league doesn’t do that,” said Cunningham.
.@sophaller gives her perspective on where WNBA-CBA negotiations are at pic.twitter.com/iHaT3uLuzg
— Show Me Something (@ShowMe_Pod) February 3, 2026
Thus, with things getting more intense, the WNBA season is looking in more despair than ever before.