The 2020 WNBA season just got the green light. In an announcement on Monday, the league revealed plans for a 22-game season, followed by the standard playoff format.
Similar to the NBA’s proposal, the WNBA season will take place in a bubble, with all games occurring at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.
In their full statement, the league expanded on the logistics, and on the prioritization of health:
Beginning in July, IMG Academy will be the home for each of the league’s 12 teams and serve as a single site for training camp, games and housing. The top priority continues to be the health and safety of players and staff, and the league is working with medical specialists, public health experts, and government officials on a comprehensive set of guidelines to ensure that appropriate medical protocols and protections are in place. Due to the fluid situation resulting from the pandemic, the league and players will continue to review the appropriate health and safety protocols and make necessary changes to the plan prior to arriving on site for the start of training camp and throughout the season.
Perhaps most important is the labor agreement. Despite cutting 14 games (roughly 39% of the season) off of each team’s schedule, the league has agreed to pay players their full salary and benefits. Not just full pay prorated to the 22 games, but full pay, full stop. And according to the AP’s Doug Feinberg, high-risk players can opt out of the season without losing pay.
The league also announced an increased priority on using their platform for social justice. Commissioner Cathy Engelbert noted that the league will take action, including in the form of donating merchandise profits, to help combat systemic racism and police brutality.
Los Angeles Sparks star and Players Association president Nneka Ogwumike had some powerful words on the subject in the league’s statement.
“In our discussions with the league, we emphasized and they agreed that a strong commitment to a 2020 season will give the WNBA the chance to show the world that it’s taking the steps needed to secure our livelihood and well-being, while also providing the opportunity to amplify our collective voice. We have always been at the forefront of initiatives with strong support of #BlackLivesMatter, #SayHerName, the LGBTQ+ community, gun control, voting rights, #MeToo, mental health and the list goes on. This is not only necessary from a humanitarian perspective, but it may be one of the biggest opportunities that this league has and will ever have.”
This is, unquestionably, a win for basketball fans. And while a 36-game season would be great, you could argue that the Sparks will benefit from a shortened season, since they have a core group that has been together for a long time. It’s reasonable to think that Chelsea Gray, Candace Parker, and Ogwumike can pick up where they left off, while other teams might be scrambling to find their footing and chemistry in the early going.
While the new schedule hasn’t yet been released, the league is targeting July 24 as the start date, with early October as the end of the postseason.
