LeBron brushes off Buss report: ‘Don’t really care’
LeBron James said he wasn’t bothered by an ESPN story this week that detailed his allegedly strained relationship with Lakers team governor Jeanie Buss, saying, “I don’t care about how somebody feels about me.”
NBA game in Minneapolis between Warriors and Timberwolves postponed after ICE shooting
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The NBA game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors was postponed on Saturday afternoon following another fatal shooting by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis.
The league announced the decision was made to “prioritize the safety and security of the Minneapolis community” after 37-year-old Alex Pretti was killed in a confrontation with officers on a street in a commercial district less than two miles from Target Center, the downtown arena where the Timberwolves play.
The game was moved back by 24 hours, rescheduled for Sunday afternoon. The Timberwolves and Warriors are also scheduled to play on Monday night.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
What's Going On With the Knicks? Rookie Awards + Unrivaled Preview
We have a fun episode of The Dunker Spot coming your way!
The New York Knicks have struggled since their NBA Cup win over the Spurs; Nekias Duncan and Steve Jones assess their concern level, talk through what’s wrong, and discuss potential fixes to turn things
around.
From there, the guys continue their mid-season award check-ins by
talking through their Rookie of the Year, All-Rookie Team, and Coach
of the Year selections. Finally, they close by previewing the upcoming slate of Unrivaled games.
If you ever have NBA or WNBA questions, email us at dunkerspot@yahoo.com.
1:37 — New York Knicks discussion
35:20 — Rookie awards
01:31:02— Coach of the Year
01:37:05 — Unrivaled weekend preview
🖥️ Watch this full episode on the Yahoo Sports NBA YouTube channel
Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family athttps://apple.co/3zEuTQj or atyahoosports.tv
Cooper Flagg's impressive rookie season has put him in elite company — and given Mavs fans hope again
The first time the Dallas Mavericks played the Miami Heat this season, Cooper Flagg started out slowly: just six points through three quarters, making only three of the nine shots he took, with three turnovers in 24 minutes. And then, with the Mavs down by seven and about nine and a half minutes to go in the fourth quarter, the 2025 NBA Draft’s No. 1 overall pick checked back in … and, suddenly, he was damn near everywhere.
Dallas’ comeback effort came up short, but the then-18-year-old’s closing kick — six points, four boards, two assists, a steal and relentless activity in those final nine-and-a-half minutes — made an impression.
“He’s not scared of the moment,” star Heat center Bam Adebayo told Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. “A lot of guys would move to the corner when there’s two minutes left in a close ball game … he was going to get the ball. He’s growing up faster than people think.”
Including, maybe, the Heat. When the two teams played again a week and a half later, Flagg scored a team-high 22 on 9-for-13 shooting in a 10-point Mavericks win.
This, as much as anything, has been the story of Flagg’s rookie season, which passed the halfway mark this week as he played key roles in wins over the slumping Knicks and injury-rocked Warriors. The campaign continues Saturday with what ought to be a pretty interesting nationally televised home game against the Los Angeles Lakers — nearly one year removed from the gobsmacking dead-of-night deal that shipped Luka Dončić to L.A.
Trading Luka for Anthony Davis removed the cornerstone on which the Mavericks franchise was built, precipitating Dallas’ downfall as a putative championship contender and beginning Nico Harrison’s slow march to the exit at the American Airlines Center. It also created a need for a new cornerstone — one better positioned for the task than Davis or Kyrie Irving, both on the wrong side of 30 and often (andcurrently) on the wrong side of the injury report.
That vacuum has been filled, thanks to a staggering amount of draft-lottery luck, by Flagg: one of the most highly touted prospects in a generation, one of the most productive teenagers the NBA has ever seen, and a preternatural talent that, as Adebayo put it, is growing up a hell of a lot faster than it would’ve seemed reasonable to expect.
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Flagg’s arrival can only do so much to abate and ameliorate the pain and trauma of the Dončić deal for a number of reasons, not least of which is the basic point that it’s really hard to replace an All-Star starter without downgrading. But even as the Mavs scuffle below .500 and near the bottom of the NBA in offensive efficiency, the presence of Flagg — rising up to the top of the rookie class, jousting with former Duke teammate Kon Knueppel and 76ers ace VJ Edgecombe in consideration for Rookie of the Year honors at the season’s midway point — gives Dallas fans something to grab hold of, a reason to believe that better days are ahead, sooner rather than later.
Flagg enters Saturday’s tilt against the Lakers averaging 18.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game, with a true shooting percentage (which factors in 2-point, 3-point and free-throw accuracy) of .554. Here is the list of rookies to average 18-6-4 on .550 TS% in NBA history:
Oscar Robertson
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Magic Johnson
Michael Jordan
I am not saying that Flagg is guaranteed to be one of the 10 best players in NBA history. I am just saying that what he has done so far puts him on a pretty cool friggin’ list. (And, for whatever it’s worth: None of those guys was doing that as a teenager.)
The only rookies this century to score as much, as efficiently and with as high a usage rate as Flagg has this season were Karl-Anthony Towns a decade ago and Victor Wembanyama two years back. The last two to do it before them: Tim Duncan and Shaquille O’Neal.
Landing among such all-time elite offensive company would be impressive enough. Reaching that level on a team nearly denuded of high-level complementary offensive talent capable of deflecting defensive attention away from you is downright exceptional. (Not you, Naji Marshall. I think you’re high-level complementary offensive talent, and I always have.)
With Davis once again sidelined, still no timeline for Irving’s return, third-year center Dereck Lively II lost for the season and plenty of other contributors missing time, leaving the Mavericks as one of the most injury-ravaged teams in the NBA, Flagg — the youngest player in the NBA — has gotten a crash course in doing damn near everything there is to do on the basketball court. His introduction to the pro game saw him suddenly tasked with masquerading as a point guard; that, um, didn’t go so hot. Being thrown into the fire, though, gave the über-prospect an up-close-and-personal brush with failure the likes of which he never experienced — an encounter that Flagg says has paid dividends as he works his way through his maiden voyage through the senior circuit.
“I don’t know if I was ready for that or if I was ready to handle that right off the bat,” he told ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. “I tried my best, and I mean, that’s not to say I can’t go back to it and can’t work on it and get better, but I think it’s just worked out where it’s been better to have somebody else helping out, relieving pressure. … It wasn’t perfect, but I think I learned a lot through that.”
Playing more frequently with fellow rookie Ryan Nembhard or reserve ball-handler Brandon Williams, Flagg has blossomed on the other side of the experiment, averaging more than 20 points and nearly 4.5 assists per game over the last 30 games while making 55% of his 2-point shots. The list of players doing that over the course of the full season looks like an All-NBA ballot.
And while shifting from the point back to the wing reduces his responsibility for bringing the ball up the floor and initiating offensive sets, it hasn’t exactly meant the kid’s suddenly getting spoon-fed. Flagg’s still shouldering a massive burden when it comes to generating his own scoring chances; according to NBA Advanced Stats, 56% of his baskets this season have been unassisted. Only 30 players in the NBA (minimum 20 games played and 20 minutes per game) are creating for themselves that often — a list that, when you filter for high-minute players like Flagg, is almost exclusively populated by All-Star-level lead guards and No. 1 offensive options.
Flagg generates those looks for himself the hard way: by doing the engine-room work of lowering his head and his shoulder and bulldozing his way to the basket.
As The Ringer’s Kirk Goldsberry recently noted, Flagg leads all rookies in drives to the rim. In fact, he’s tied for 35th in the entire league, averaging as many forays to the cup per game as Edwards, and 19th in points scored per game off those drives, right behind Pascal Siakam and Donovan Mitchell. My colleague Steve Jones Jr. recently highlighted the right-handed Flagg’s adeptness at driving to his left, and the numbers bear that out: Flagg opts for his non-dominant hand on nearly 63% of his drives, according to Synergy Sports, producing more than one point per possession and shooting 51.1% on those left-hand attacks.
While Flagg’s ability to steamroll downhill to create for himself is impressive enough, one area of growth as he moves through the early stages of his career is getting more comfortable facilitating while handling the ball in the two-man game. Including possessions where he passes to a teammate who shoots, Flagg’s pick-and-rolls are producing 0.951 points per possession, according to Synergy. That’s not a particularly exceptional number in and of itself — about league average overall, and 68th out of 93 players finishing at least five plays per game out of the pick-and-roll.
[Get more Mavericks news: Dallas team feed]
On the other hand, though — and it’s really worth hammering this point home — “about league average at generating points out of the pick-and-roll” is pretty damn good for a just-turned-19-year-old stepping immediately into a primary shot creation role that he’d never played before. And it’s also worth noting that, as with so much else about his game, Flagg seems to be getting better at it as the season goes along.
Over the past month, Dallas has scored 1.063 points per possession out of Flagg’s pick-and-rolls — a mark that would rank between what Mitchell and Jaylen Brown are generating out of the two-man game this season. The reads and passes are rarely breathtaking, but the court vision that he flashed in his fits-and-starts point guard days continues to produce good looks — either for himself after keeping a defender in jail and probing the paint, or for a teammate after the help leans too far in his direction — for an offense that desperately needs them:
Due in part to the relative lack of offensive threats around him, especially with Davis back on the shelf and Irving still in street clothes, teams have been sending more defensive attention at Flagg — loading the coverage toward him, trapping him as he comes off a ball screen, trying to heat him up and force the ball out of his hands. Learning how to patiently play through that kind of pressure takes time and repetition, with today’s pain bringing the promise of more efficient production tomorrow.
“He’s going each and every night,” Davis said last month, according to Christian Clark of The Athletic. “Each possession. They are trying to put their toughest defender on him every night. Try to take away his ability to put the ball on the floor and score. But he’s handling it very well. Making plays out of the double teams. It’s our job to capitalize when he makes the right play.”
The Mavs haven’t done that often enough this season, shooting just 39.7% off his passes, including a dismal 30.6% on 3-point looks, according to NBA Advanced Stats — in keeping with the sour overall flavor of an attack that ranks 25th or worse in 3-point attempts, makes and percentage, 28th in points per half-court possession, and 27th in overall offensive efficiency. It’s easy to imagine future Dallas rosters built around Flagg prioritizing perimeter shooting, looking to leverage the way that his size and skill enables him to penetrate into the teeth of the defense by flanking him with marksmen capable of cashing out after he drives, reads and kicks.
“The biggest thing that stands out to me is his athleticism,” a Western Conference scout recently told MacMahon of ESPN. “If I’m the GM here, I’m adding as much shooting as possible and building around him for a long time.”
Flank Flagg with floor-spacers and give him the green light to get downhill, and it seems like you’ve got the recipe for a damn good offense. The only fly in the ointment is Flagg’s own jumper: just 33.5% outside the paint and 28.3% from 3-point land, including a surprising 24.2% on supposedly easier catch-and-shoot triple tries. If he can’t iron out the wrinkles in his J, defenses will be able to duck under ball screens, sag off him and crowd the paint, clogging up driving lanes and making it more difficult for him to create for himself and others.
For what it’s worth, though, at least one pretty reliable source when it comes to shooting the ball isn’t too worried about the kid’s overall outlook …
Dirk Nowitzki on Cooper Flagg: “My rookie season, I shot 29% from three and it ended up being okay. We’re not worried about Cooper’s three ball.” pic.twitter.com/1rVoLlQx73
— NBA on Prime (@NBAonPrime) January 23, 2026
… which seems smart, considering Flagg’s up to 36% from deep on nearly four attempts per game over the past month — yet another area in which he just continues to improve, night after night, game after game.
Just like his rebounding. Kidd recently challenged Flagg to be more active and aggressive on the glass.
“That’s one area we believe he can get better at,” Kidd said, according to Mike Curtis of the Dallas Morning News. “With time, he’ll figure that out.”
Flagg pulled down a season-high 11 boards in Thursday’s win over the Warriors. You don’t need that much time when you’re growing up faster than people think.
Former Miami Heat security officer gets 3 years in prison for selling stolen memorabilia
MIAMI (AP) — A former Miami Heat security officer has been sentenced to three years in federal prison and ordered to pay nearly $1.9 million in restitution for stealing hundreds of game-worn jerseys and other valuable sports memorabilia while working for the team.
Marcos Thomas Perez, 62, was sentenced earlier this month, according to court records. He pleaded guilty last August to transporting and transferring stolen goods in interstate commerce.
The 25-year retired veteran of the Miami Police Department worked for the Heat from 2016 to 2021 and as an NBA security employee from 2022 to 2025.
“This defendant was a former police officer who betrayed the public trust and exploited his access to our beloved hometown team for personal gain,” U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Jason Reding Quiñones said in a statement. “The Miami Heat represent excellence built through hard work and discipline in South Florida — and this conduct was the opposite.”
According to federal prosecutors and the FBI, Perez stole more than 400 jerseys and other items from a secured equipment room and sold items through various online marketplaces. He had access because he worked on the game-day security detail at the Kaseya Center. He was one of a few employees with access to a secured equipment room that stored memorabilia the Heat organization planned to display in a future team museum.
Over a three-year period, authorities say Perez sold more than 100 stolen items for approximately $1.9 million and shipped them across state lines, often at bargain prices. They say he sold a Miami Heat jersey LeBron James wore during the NBA Finals for approximately $100,000. That same jersey later sold at a Sotheby’s auction for $3.7 million.
Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Perez’s home last April and recovered nearly 300 additional stolen game-worn jerseys and memorabilia, officials said. The Miami Heat confirmed the items had been stolen from their facility.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
Bobby Webster Enters First Trade Deadline With Full Control, No Pressure For Big Move
Bobby Webster has full autonomy and faces no organizational pressure to make a significant trade at his first NBA deadline as Toronto Raptors general manager, sources within MLSE told TSN. However, the organization’s decision to decline elevating him to the president’s role has created a make-or-break season for Webster and several others in the front office.
Webster inherited the primary decision-making role from longtime boss Masai Ujiri over the summer. The Raptors’ surprising 27-19 start has positioned the team ahead of schedule in its rebuilding process, creating multiple strategic options with the February 5 deadline approaching.
Sources within MLSE insist Webster has full autonomy and is under no pressure to take a big swing in his first at-bat. But in declining to elevate him to the president’s role and dangling the title over his head, this was always going to be a make-or-break season for Toronto’s GM as well as several others on his staff and in the organization.
TSN confirmed Toronto appears willing to part with some combination of Immanuel Quickley, Jakob Poeltl and RJ Barrett in trade discussions. Rival teams have gleaned that impression from exploratory conversations, though the Raptors face significant obstacles executing a major deal.
The front office has explored potential trades for elite players including Anthony Davis and Domantas Sabonis. According to sources, Toronto held internal discussions about acquiring Davis, who turns 33 in March and carries an extensive injury history. However, most interest appears driven by agent Rich Paul attempting to move his client from the Dallas Mavericks.
Webster’s hands are tied by financial constraints created by above-market contracts. Quickley signed a five-year, $175 million extension that has aged poorly amid injuries and inconsistency. Poeltl has logged just seven minutes over the past 19 games due to a nagging back issue.
Most clubs Toronto has contacted aren’t incentivized to absorb long-term salary without receiving premium picks and prospects. Outside of Scottie Barnes and rookie standout Collin Murray-Boyles, the Raptors lack untouchable assets to sweeten potential deals.
The likely scenario involves playing it safe by using Ochai Agbaji’s expiring contract and draft compensation to avoid the luxury tax while adding depth. Toronto has checked in on Dallas center Daniel Gafford, per a source, while Orlando’s Goga Bitadze and Brooklyn’s Day’Ron Sharpe are other names to monitor.
Bulls vs Timberwolves Prediction, Picks & Odds for Tonight’s NBA Game
A three-game losing streak can knock you from thinking about the No. 2 seed to worrying about the Play-In Tournament in the Western Conference. The Minnesota Timberwolves cannot let this slide continue, but fortunately, hosting the Chicago Bulls is a ripe chance to right things.
My Bulls vs. Timberwolves predictions and NBA picks recognize the value presented by a possible Minnesota injury.
Bulls vs Timberwolves best bet: Jaden McDaniels Over 16.5 points (+100)
With Julius Randle questionable tonight due to left foot soreness, the quick question becomes who will handle the ball more if Randle is out of this Minnesota Timberwolves lineup. The first instinct is Naz Reid, as he could slide into the starting lineup if Randle is indeed ruled out.
Howeve, Reid banged up his shoulder on Saturday, and his 5-for-15 shooting on Tuesday did not ease those worries.
Then look to Jaden McDaniels. The wing has already been handling the ball more often for Minnesota, often initiating the offense as Mike Conley continues to struggle and Donte DiVincenzo seems to play best in an off-ball role. Randle often initiates the offense, as well, but if he is indeed ruled out, that work should land more on McDaniels’ shoulders.
He has already cleared this prop in five of his last eight games. That trend should continue with or without Randle, but particularly if the Timberwolves are without him tonight.
Jaden McDaniels is not much of a pull-up shooter from deep. His threes usually come on catch-and-shoot chances, and with the thought that Randle may be sidelined, those chances will be fewer. Furthermore, McDaniels has cleared this scoring prop while not hitting multiple 3-pointers four times since Christmas.
This is not doubt in Reid. This is seeing value in an Under if his shoulder is indeed bothering him, and Tuesday’s 5-for-15 shooting was his worst showing of January, a decent indication his shoulder is indeed bothering him.
The Timberwolves are 3-0 ATS against the Bulls in the last two seasons, all of those coming as at least a three-bucket favorite. Find more NBA betting trends for Bulls vs. Timberwolves.
| Location | Target Center, Minneapolis, MN |
| Date | Thursday, January 22, 2026 |
| Tip-off | 8:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | FDSN-North, CHSN |
Not intended for use in MA.
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This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here
5 NBA teams that must make a trade + Butler injury fallout, drama in Laker land + Draft Class with Tyler Rucker
Kevin O’Connor and Tom Haberstroh discuss the implications of Jimmy Butler’s season-ending ACL injury and what’s next for the Warriors. Does Golden State need to make a trade to save their season?
Next, the duo breaks down Wemby’s jump shot development, reacts to the details of the Lakers’ drama with Jeanie Buss and LeBron James, and discusses the Knicks’ bounce back performance over the Nets.
Later, they share the five NBA teams that must make a trade before the deadline. How can the Orlando Magic improve their shooting and what will it take to make the San Antonio Spurs legitimate contenders? Plus, Tyler Rucker joins for this week’s NBA Draft Class and Lottery Lessons.
(0:38) Jimmy Butler out for season with ACL injury
(19:55) Is Wemby’s jumpshot his greatest weakness?
(28:54) Los Angeles Lakers off-court drama
(38:32) New York Knicks obliterate Brooklyn Nets
(44:09) 5 NBA teams that need to make a trade
(1:13:48) Draft Class with Tyler Rucker
🖥️ Watch this full episode on the Yahoo Sports NBA YouTube channel
Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at yahoosports.tv
Pro Picks: Patriots will top the Broncos and Rams will edge the Seahawks to reach the Super Bowl
The NFL’s conference championship games feature both No. 1 seeds, two division rivals and a backup quarterback making his first start of the season.
The Denver Broncos (15-3) host the New England Patriots (16-3) in the AFC title game on Sunday. It was Peyton Manning vs. Tom Brady the previous time they met in the playoffs 10 years ago.
Now, it’s backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham for the Broncos against second-year standout Drake Maye.
Then it’s a showdown between NFC West foes when All-Pro quarterback Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams (14-5) visit Sam Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks (15-3) in the their third matchup of the season.
Pro Picks examines both games:
NEW ENGLAND (16-3) at DENVER (15-3)
Line: Patriots minus 5 1/2
The Patriots are road favorites on BetMGM Sportsbook because the Broncos lost quarterback Bo Nix to an ankle injury in a 33-30 overtime win against Buffalo in the divisional round.
Stidham, who was selected by the Patriots in the fourth round of the 2019 draft to back up Brady, is making his fifth career start. He hasn’t thrown a pass in a game since 2023.
Maye threw three touchdown passes in the rain and snow last week and New England’s defense intercepted four passes, including a pick-6, in a 28-16 win against Houston. Maye lost two of his four fumbles in the nasty conditions but the Patriots are in the conference championship game for the 16th time in franchise history and first since going to eight in a row with Brady and coach Bill Belichick from 2011-18.
New England is seeking its 12th trip to the Super Bowl and seventh Lombardi Trophy. Coach Mike Vrabel earned three championship rings as a player with the Patriots in the 2000s.
The No. 1 seed Broncos are here for the first time since Manning and a dominant defense beat Brady and the Patriots 20-18 on the way to a victory over Carolina in the Super Bowl. Denver is 8-2 in AFC title games.
The Patriots had the league’s No. 3 offense in total yards behind Maye, running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Rhamondre Stevenson and wide receivers Stefon Diggs and Kayshon Boutte.
Denver’s defense led by All-Pro defensive lineman Zach Allen, edge rusher Nik Bonitto and cornerback Patrick Surtain II was second best in yards and third in points, allowing just 18.3 per game. New England’s defense was right behind, giving up only 18.8.
Broncos coach Sean Payton has valued Stidham as a backup and now he has to build a game plan around him in the biggest game of the season.
The Patriots are 13-5-1 against the spread while Denver is 8-9-1.
PATRIOTS: 20-16
LOS ANGELES RAMS (14-5) at SEATTLE (15-3)
Line: Seahawks minus 2 1/2
The Rams are seeking their third straight road win after eliminating Carolina in the wild-card round and beating Chicago 20-17 in overtime last week. Stafford and coach Sean McVay led them to a Super Bowl title four years ago and this will be the team’s 12th NFC championship game.
The No. 1 seed Seahawks routed the 49ers 41-6 to advance to their fifth conference title game and first in 11 years.
Darnold has struggled against the Rams. Los Angeles sacked Darnold nine times and intercepted him once in a 27-9 wild-card victory last season when he was with Minnesota.
In Week 11, Darnold threw four picks in a 21-19 loss to the Rams. He nearly rallied the Seahawks to victory but Jason Myers missed a 61-yard field goal at the end.
On Dec. 18, Darnold tossed two interceptions and was sacked four times as Seattle fell behind Los Angeles by 16 points in the fourth quarter. But the Seahawks stormed back to tie it up, including a wacky 2-point conversion, and won 38-37 in overtime when Darnold connected with Eric Saubert on another 2-pointer.
The Rams had allowed 30 points per game over a five-game stretch before holding Caleb Williams and the Bears to 17. With Stafford, All-Pro receiver Puka Nacua and star wideout Davante Adams, the Rams led the league in yards and scoring at 30.5 points per game.
The Seahawks were third in scoring (28.4) and their defense featuring defensive tackle Leonard Williams, linebacker Ernest Jones IV and cornerback Devon Witherspoon gave up the fewest points (17.2 per game).
The Rams are 12-7 ATS while the Seahawks are 13-5.
UPSET SPECIAL: RAMS: 27-26
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Last week: Straight up: 3-1. Against spread: 1-3.
Overall: Straight up: 192-89-1. Against spread: 148-126-8.
Prime time: Straight up: 36-25-1. Against spread: 28-34.
Best Bet: Straight up: 14-6. Against spread: 8-11-1.
Upset Special: Straight up: 14-6. Against spread: 15-5.
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Pro Picks is a weekly column where AP Pro Football Writer Rob Maaddi shares his picks for upcoming games. For all previous Pro Picks, head here.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
WNBA season set to begin May 8 if new CBA is reached, league will take 17-day FIBA World Cup break
NEW YORK (AP) — The WNBA is set to begin its season on May 8, assuming the league and the players’ union can come to an agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement.
Teams will play 44 games over a five-month period with a 17-day break for the FIBA World Cup in early September. The league said last year that with the World Cup this season they would keep the schedule at 44 games despite adding two new teams in Portland and Toronto.
“As we prepare to tip off the WNBA’s historic 30th season, this schedule reflects both how far the league has come and the momentum that continues to drive us forward,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said.
“From welcoming two new organizations in Toronto and Portland, to honoring our history with marquee matchups that connect the league’s first game to today’s stars, the 2026 season will celebrate the WNBA’s past, present, and future. With a record number of games, growing global reach, and unprecedented momentum, this milestone season will help define the next chapter of the WNBA.”
By putting the schedule out now, teams can start selling ticket packages, book travel for away games — including charter flights — and secure arena dates.
“Releasing the 2026 schedule is a key step as we prepare for the WNBA’s 30th season and allows teams, partners, broadcasters, and fans to begin the essential planning for the year ahead,” a WNBA spokesperson said.
All but two teams have at least one back-to-back set of games. Overall, the average of games on consecutive nights is down from 2.4 per team in 2025 to 1.6 this year.
The WNBA hopes to expand the number of games teams play in future years, but that would come in a new CBA.
Training camp is slated to begin April 19, six days after the college draft. The league will have its sixth annual Commissioner’s Cup games in June with the championship game slated to take place on June 30. The All-Star Game is set for Chicago on July 25 with games to resume three days later.
The WNBA will go on break from Aug. 31-Sept. 16 for the World Cup, which will be played in Berlin this year. Teams will have a handful of games after that tournament finishes with the playoffs set to begin on Sept. 27.
All of this is still contingent on the league and union coming to an agreement on a new CBA. The last CBA was announced in the middle of January 2020, a month after it had been agreed to. It could easily take two months from when a new CBA is reached to get to the start of free agency.
The two sides agreed to a moratorium on free agency, which was supposed to begin earlier this month. The moratorium was needed after no new extension was reached on Jan. 9 to negotiate a new CBA. The WNBA and union are now in a “status quo” period where the old CBA is still in effect and the two parties are negotiating on good faith.
Besides free agency, the WNBA also still has to hold an expansion draft for Portland and Toronto.
Other highlights of the schedule include:
— All 15 teams will play opening weekend, highlighted by a WNBA Finals rematch between Las Vegas and Phoenix as well as a matchup of the last two No. 1 picks with Paige Bueckers and Dallas visiting Indiana and Caitlin Clark.
— Los Angeles hosting New York on June 21 on the anniversary of the original matchup between the teams that was the first game in league history.
— Toronto will play two games in Montreal and Vancouver.
— Connecticut will have two games in Hartford and one game in Boston.
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