WNBA free agency may not open until early March at the earliest, according to reporting from Front Office Sports, and that would be a major shift from the league’s normal offseason rhythm.

In a typical year, free agency opens in early January and most of the big moves are wrapped up by early February. Right now, that entire timeline is on pause because the league and the players’ union still don’t have a new CBA in place. Talks moved into a “status quo” period after the last deadline extension expired earlier this month, and free agency was put under a moratorium while negotiations continue.

Front Office Sports reported that early March is considered a best-case scenario — and that’s only if a deal gets finalized by early February. Even then, teams would be operating on a compressed calendar. The 2026 WNBA draft is scheduled for April 13, and training camps are set to open April 19. That doesn’t leave much room for roster building, especially with an expansion draft for Toronto and Portland still needing to happen first.

What makes this especially tricky is that front offices don’t even know the rules yet. Expansion draft protections, whether pre-expansion trades will be allowed, and what happens with the league’s core designation are all still part of the negotiations. Until there’s clarity, teams can’t really plan.

There’s also the bigger picture. A delayed free agency doesn’t just affect signings — it impacts trades, cap planning, training camp invites, and even how teams approach the draft. Everything starts stacking on top of everything else.

Both sides have said they’re committed to getting the league’s 30th season played, and ownership sources have indicated there’s no appetite for a lockout. The union did authorize a strike in December, but that was framed as preparedness rather than a signal that games are about to be missed.

Still, the next few weeks feel important. If free agency does slide into March, it’ll be the most unusual WNBA offseason in recent memory — and one that could reshape how teams operate going forward.

Curious what others think: Would a March free agency hurt competitive balance, or is it just a temporary headache if it leads to a better long-term CBA?