2020 WNBA season

On January 14, 2020, the WNBA and the WNBA Players Association announced that a new eight-year Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) had been signed.[6][2] Key provisions of the new CBA include:[7][8]

• The new maximum base salary, for which certain qualified players and those designated as "core players" are eligible, is $215,000, an increase from $117,500 under the previous CBA. Maximum earnings for top players can be over $500,000.
• The new minimum base salary for inexperienced players is $57,000 and for experienced players is $68,000. This is an increase from $41,965 and $56,375 respectively under the previous CBA.
• The "core player" designation, under which teams can retain players otherwise eligible for free agency, remains available to teams. However, while teams could designate a player as such up to four times under the previous CBA, this has been reduced to thrice in the next two seasons and twice thereafter.
• Apart from those players under the "core player" designation, all players who have met contract obligations for five years become unrestricted free agents. This is a decrease from the required six years under the previous CBA.
• The league will enter a 50-50 revenue sharing agreement beginning in 2021, conditional on meeting certain revenue growth targets.
• For road games, players will receive "comfort/economy plus" seats rather than ordinary economy class seats, and will receive individual hotel rooms.
• The league will provide a new paid maternity leave policy, where players will receive their full salaries while on leave. Players with children will be provided an annual $5,000

childcare stipend and two-bedroom apartments. Veteran players are also eligible for up to $60,000 in reimbursements for costs related to family planning.

• The league will institute a new “Diversity in Coaching” initiative to build a pipeline to coaching and offer other paid employment opportunities for players during the offseason. Under the initiative, WNBA players can work on coaching staffs or in front offices of NBA teams without a salary limit, regardless of the WNBA team's ownership structure.[lower-alpha 3]
• The league will create expanded programs to address intimate partner violence and nutrition, but details about these programs were not included in the CBA.
• By the sixth year of the CBA, veteran players (defined for this purpose as those with more than 2 years of WNBA experience) will face season-long suspension for missing the start of training camp. The CBA includes several exceptions to this policy, among them serious injury or illness, maternity leave, national team commitments for non-US players, college graduations, and other significant life events.

The WNBA originally planned that each team would play 36 total games in the 2020 season, an increase from the 34 games played in each season since 2003. Teams will have 18 home & road games each.[1][9]

The original 2020 season schedule featured the inaugural Commissioner's Cup, an in-season tournament. In the first half of the season between May 15 and July 10, each team would have played its first home and road games against its five conference opponents. These games would have been designated as "Cup games", and the leaders in Cup standings in each conference were would have met in the Commissioner's Cup championship game scheduled for August 14, 2020.[1][9]

The 2020 WNBA schedule originally included a traditional month-long break in July and August to allow players to participate in the Summer Olympic Games. The 2020 games have however been postponed till 2021, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, rendering this break unnecessary. On April 3, 2020, the WNBA announced that the start of its own schedule would also be postponed, although there were few details on what the revised schedule might look like. The 2020 entry draft took place as originally scheduled on April 17, although it was done remotely.[3] During a conference call on the day of the draft, Commissioner Engelbert addressed the issue of when the season might begin. Aside from reiterating that the season would not begin as originally scheduled on May 15, she had few concrete details. "Obviously, our goal is to have a season when it’s medically advisable and feasible," she stated. She confirmed that games would if possible be scheduled during the now-unnecessary Olympic break, and she also stated that the season might extend into the fall.[10]

On the originally scheduled opening day, May 15, 2020, Engelbert told ESPN that the players would get their first paychecks on June 1, but she gave few other details of how the season might proceed, if it starts at all. She said a full-length schedule with 36 games per team could only be played if the season began before some point in early July, but she also said the league was looking at various scenarios for a shorter season.[11]

On April 3, it was announced that the starting of the regular season has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[3] The 2020 WNBA draft took place on April 17 as originally scheduled,[3] but the rest of the league's activities have been delayed.

On the originally scheduled opening day, May 15, 2020, it was announced that the players would be paid their first paychecks on June 1. On June 4, ESPN reported that the WNBA was planning on a shortened 22-game regular season to be held at IMG Academy, with players receiving 60% of their salaries.[12] On June 9, The Next reported that many players were unhappy with the reduced salary, and the league revised its plans by June 12 to include full season salaries for players.[13] On June 15, the return-to-play proposal was approved.[5][14] The playoff format, which includes single-elimination first and second-round games and then five-game series for the semifinals and finals, will stay the same and end in October.[14]

• In June 2019, Camille Little announced her retirement after twelve years of playing in the WNBA. She won the WNBA Title in 2010 with the Seattle Storm.[18]
• In September 2019, Sancho Lyttle announced her retirement after fourteen years of playing in the WNBA. Lyttle made the WNBA All-Star game once, and twice lead the league in steals.[19]
• Alana Beard announced her retirement on January 22, 2020 after fifteen years of playing professionally. Beard is a four time WNBA All-Star and two time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year. She also won a WNBA Championship while playing with the Los Angeles Sparks.[20][21]
• Rebekkah Brunson announced her retirement on February 11, 2020 after fifteen years of playing professionally. Brunson will stay with the Minnesota Lynx as an assistant coach. Brunson will have her jersey number 32 retired by the Lynx. Brunson finishes her career as a five time WNBA Champion and five time WNBA All-Star. As of her retirement, Brunson was the active WNBA leader in rebounds.[22][23]
• Carolyn Swords announced she would be retiring to join the marketing team of the Las Vegas Aces on February 24, 2020. Over her nine year career, she played for four different teams.[24]

Free agency negotiations started on January 28, 2020, and the signing period began on February 10, 2020.[25]

Traditionally there is no WNBA All-Star Game during an Olympic year, such as 2020. The 2020 Tokyo games have been postponed till 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The beginning of the WNBA's own schedule has also been postponed, for the same reason, but few specific details have been announced, including whether or not an All-Star Game might be held after all.

Notes

(#) – League Standing

y– Clinched conference

x– Clinched playoff berth

e – Eliminated from playoffs

Source

The following shows the leaders in each statistical category during the 2020 regular season.

Notes:

• Year with team does not include 2020 season.
• Records are from time at current team and are through the end of the 2019 season.
• Playoff appearances are from time at current team only.
• WNBA Finals and Championships do not include time with other teams.
• Coaches shown are the coaches who began the 2020 season as head coach of each team.