The WNBA is back, but for certain franchises, it may already be time to look ahead to 2027. Seven teams are out of the playoffs and aren't exactly pushing for wins over the final four games of the 2026 campaign. Several players are already ruled out with injury, and some may not return following the World Cup.
We asked for your questions about the end of the regular season and the upcoming offseason, as well as any lingering thoughts on this year's world championship. Let's get into it. (And check back Friday for another round of mailbag questions about playoff teams.)
(Questions have been lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Any chance the next time FIBA has a World Cup they could do it before or after the WNBA season? — Timothy M.
The 2030 World Cup is already scheduled to run from Nov. 26 through Dec. 8 in Tokyo, so there will be no overlap with the WNBA season. Team USA will even have a full training camp before the tournament begins. It's a flex of power for the WNBA that FIBA accommodated its calendar (rather than hosting it during the league's regular season) while clashing with every other major international league.
Is Ezi Magbegor 's contract likely to be suspended for next year while she recovers from injury? If it is suspended, will Ezi be paid? If it is not suspended, what are the salary cap ramifications for the Seattle Storm ? — James E.
Magbegor suffered the worst-case scenario in Berlin, tearing her right ACL in Australia's win over Italy on Sept. 9. The Storm have already ruled her out for the remainder of the 2026 season, but an ACL tear generally requires nine to 12 months of recovery, jeopardizing her 2027 availability as well.
If Magbegor decides to sit out the entire 2027 season, the Storm can suspend her contract because the injury did not happen on WNBA time. That would remove Magbegor's $1.25 million contract from Seattle's cap and clear a roster spot. The Storm would presumably still invite Magbegor to Seattle to rehab in their facilities, and FIBA's insurance policy would cover the Australian captain's salary.
The trickier option is if Magbegor attempts to play part of the season. The Storm could temporarily suspend her, which means she doesn't take up a roster spot, but her salary would still count against the cap. Seattle can fill out its roster with Magbegor's number on the books as the team has more than $3.7 million of cap space. Furthermore, it behooves the Storm to have one more rebuilding year to add a high lottery pick in 2028, so they probably won't be chasing expensive free agents.
The real question is what this means for Magbegor's future in Seattle. It's harder to be a mentor to Dominique Malonga and Awa Fam if she isn't on the court, and by the time Magbegor returns, the Seattle frontcourt might not have room for her.
Does Nneka Ogwumike have what it takes on the business side to be the next WNBA commissioner? — Maiyamer24
In Ogwumike's own words, she doesn't believe she is qualified for the role. Maybe after spending some time on the team side or at the league level and learning about the WNBA business from a different perspective, that could change.
Would you please give us your evaluation of Seattle's rebuild? Specifically, how is Coach Sonia Raman doing with player development and growing into the head coach job? What steps does GM Talisa Rhea need to work on next? Will the team catch fire before the losing mindset takes over? — thandi_onami
From a player development standpoint, there is a lot to like in Seattle. Malonga was an All-Star in her second season, Fam has improved her rebounding and ballhandling, Flau'jae Johnson has flashed defensive potential, and Zia Cooke looks like a rotation player for the first time in her four-year WNBA career. The Storm have the ninth-best defensive rating despite a young roster and an offense that often puts the defense in bad positions.
After expansion, it's harder to immediately turn the page since more teams than ever will finish out of playoff position. The Seattle front office made the correct choice to rebuild, and the Storm have tanked effectively, even if they would never admit it. They have the worst record in the league (8-32) thanks in part to a comically bad 2-16 record in clutch games. That will serve them well in this year's lottery and in 2028 if they extend the rebuild one more season. That draft could have Sarah Strong, JuJu Watkins, Mikayla Blakes and Joyce Edwards, among others.
Historically, WNBA teams need two good draft picks to reset their timeline. Think of Indiana with Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark , or Dallas with Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd. Seattle is a step ahead of those teams thanks to the largesse of the Los Angeles Sparks , but the Storm still need a strong perimeter creator to become a contender again.
This is a mind-boggling achievement by Breanna Stewart : "We're talking about a player who is undefeated in the NCAA Tournament, World Cup and Olympics." How many games does that streak encompass? — Mike B.
It includes 70 games! Makes it harder to believe that Stewart has never lost a winner-take-all game . Kudos to the Phoenix Mercury for taking down New York in a decisive Game 3 in their run to the 2025 WNBA Finals.
The appeals process in the FIBA tournament was a revelation. Why don't all leagues, especially the WNBA, do it that way? — Ralph G.
The mailbag included many questions about officiating. Reader consensus was that the FIBA product was superior to the WNBA's. Interestingly, the WNBA attempted to overhaul its officiating process to limit the amount of physicality allowed while FIBA leans into the contact. I prefer the viewing experience of fewer fouls and a quicker game, but players prefer more freedom of movement.
I don't think FIBA referees were necessarily more consistent than their WNBA counterparts, but as you note in your question, Ralph, the review system was tremendous. Thirty seconds or less, and no complaints about those decisions. If FIBA officials can litigate calls that quickly, there should be a timer on WNBA officials. Hopefully, the offsite replay center will expedite that process in 2027. However, more cameras often means more delays.
Outlook on the Portland Fire for next year? Carla Leite , Barker and Bridget Carleton seem like good core pieces. And Iyana Martin coming over looked really good in FIBA. — Zachary W.
Welcome to the Iyana Martín fan club! We're having a great time. Martín and Leite together are goosebump-inducing because of their offensive creativity and downhill juice, but they'll give back a ton on defense, and that's really an issue for the Fire. They've done well to maximize the offensive output of Leite, Carleton, Megan DiLeo and pretty much everyone else on their roster. Still, their defense is essentially smoke and mirrors despite some strong individual performances from Carleton, Emily Engstler and Sarah Ashlee Barker before her knee injury.
The Fire need a real rim protector to backstop their perimeter deficiencies. (Leite and Martín could be the smallest backcourt in the W next season.) Perhaps they could sign Nyara Sabally to an offer sheet or pull Smith loose from Dallas if the Wings need to cut some salary. Maybe Portland is high on Lauren Betts and willing to spend a lottery pick to trade for her since she is stuck as a backup in Washington. Or perhaps the Fire are satisfied with having a blistering offense and no defense if the organization wants one more high draft pick.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic .
Seattle Storm, Portland Fire, WNBA
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