2020 WNBA season
League	Women's National Basketball Association
Sport	Basketball
Duration	July 25 – October 6, 2020[a]
Games	22[b]
Teams	12
TV partner(s)	ABC,ESPN,ESPN2,CBS,CBSSN,NBA TV
Top draft pick	Sabrina Ionescu
Picked by	New York Liberty
Season MVP	A'ja Wilson (Las Vegas)
Finals champions	Seattle Storm
Runners-up	Las Vegas Aces
Finals MVP	Breanna Stewart (Seattle)
WNBA seasons
← 2019 2021 →

The2020 WNBA season was the 24th season of theWomen's National Basketball Association (WNBA). TheWashington Mystics were the defending champions. Planned changes to the league's schedule included an increase from 34 to 36 regular season games for each team, the introduction of a mid-season Commissioner's Cup tournament, and more games broadcast onESPN andABC.^[1] This was the first season under a new Collective Bargaining Agreement between the league and theWNBA Players Association.^[2] However, on April 3, the season wasindefinitely postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[3] Under a plan approved on June 15, the league began a shortened 22-game regular season atIMG Academy inBradenton, Florida,without fans present on July 25.^[4][5][6]A'ja Wilson of theLas Vegas Aces was named theleague MVP. TheSeattle Storm won the2020 WNBA Finals over the Aces, andBreanna Stewart was named theFinals MVP.

On January 14, 2020, the WNBA and theWNBA Players Association announced that a new eight-year Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) had been signed.^[7][2] Key provisions of the new CBA include:^[8][9]

• 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 becomeunrestricted 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 ordinaryeconomy class seats, and will receive individual hotel rooms.
• The league will provide a newpaid 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.^[c]
• 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 were to have 18 home and road games each.^[1][10]

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][10]

The 2020 WNBA schedule originally included a traditional month-long break in July and August to allow players to participate in theSummer Olympic Games. The2020 games were, however, postponed till 2021 due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, rendering this break unnecessary.

As with most professional sports leagues, the WNBA season wasaffected by the COVID-19 pandemic. On April 3, 2020, the WNBA announced that the start of its schedule would also be postponed.^[3] The2020 entry draft took place as originally scheduled on April 17, although it was done remotely.^[3] On the originally scheduled opening day, May 15, 2020, Engelbert toldESPN that the players would get their first paychecks on June 1.^[11] On June 4, ESPN reported that the WNBA was planning on a shortened 22-game regular season to be held atIMG 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 included single-elimination first and second-round games and then five-game series for the semifinals and finals, stayed the same and ended in October.^[14]

TheNew York Liberty had the first pick in the2020 WNBA draft.^[15] The Liberty selectedSabrina Ionescu first overall.^[16] The full draft was televised onESPN in the US and on bothTSN2 andSN1 in Canada.^[17]

• In June 2019,Camille Little announced her retirement after twelve years of playing in the WNBA. She won the WNBA Title in2010 with theSeattle Storm.^[18]
• In September 2019,Sancho Lyttle announced her retirement after fourteen years of playing in the WNBA. Lyttle made theWNBA All-Star game once, and twicelead the league in steals.^[19]
• Alana Beard announced her retirement on January 22, 2020, after fifteen years of playing professionally. Beard is a four timeWNBA All-Star and two timeWNBA Defensive Player of the Year. She also won a WNBA Championship while playing with theLos Angeles Sparks.^[20][21]
• Rebekkah Brunson announced her retirement on February 11, 2020, after fifteen years of playing professionally. Brunson stayed with theMinnesota Lynx as an assistant coach. Brunson had her jersey number 32 retired by the Lynx. Brunson finished her career as a five time WNBA Champion and five timeWNBA All-Star. As of her retirement, Brunson was the activeWNBA leader in rebounds.^[22][23]
• Carolyn Swords announced she was retiring to join the marketing team of theLas Vegas Aces on February 24, 2020. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she was let go from her position and resumed her career to re-join the Aces. 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]

• In June 2019, it was announced that theBankers Life Fieldhouse would undergo renovations to add an outdoor plaza and skating area. TheIndiana Fever originally announced that they would play home games at theHinkle Fieldhouse for the 2020–2022 seasons.^[30] However, the entire 2020 WNBA season was moved toBradenton, Florida, and the Fever split their 2021 season between Bankers Life Fieldhouse andIndiana Farmers Coliseum.
• In July 2019, it was announced thatTalking Stick Resort Arena would be undergoing renovations and thePhoenix Mercury would be forced to play their home games atArizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum for the 2020 season.^[31] The entire 2020 WNBA season was moved toBradenton, Florida, and the Mercury returned to Talking Stick Resort Arena (at the time known asPhoenix Suns Arena) in 2021.
• On October 17, 2019, theNew York Liberty announced that they would move to theBarclays Center inBrooklyn as their permanent home.^[32] In the 2018 and 2019 seasons, the Liberty's primary home venue was theWestchester County Center inWhite Plains, New York.
• On October 18, 2019, theAtlanta Dream announced that it would move fromState Farm Arena indowntownAtlanta to the newGateway Center Arena in the southern suburb ofCollege Park, Georgia.^[33]

Traditionally, there is noWNBA All-Star Game during an Olympic year, such as 2020. The 2020 Tokyo games were postponed until 2021 because of theCOVID-19 pandemic. With the season being held atIMG Academy, the All-Star Game was not played in 2020.

Notes

x – Clinched playoff berth

e – Eliminated from playoffs

Home and Away records not shown, as all games played at a neutral location.

Updated to include results from September 13, 2020

Source

The following shows the leaders in each statistical category during the 2020 regular season.^[34][35]

The WNBA continued its current playoff format for 2020. The top eight teams, regardless of conference, make the playoffs, with the top two teams receiving a bye to the semi-finals. The remaining six teams play in two single-elimination playoff rounds, with the third and fourth seeds receiving a bye to the second round.^[36]

Note: Teams re-seeded after each round.

Reference:^[37]

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.

In response to theshooting of Jacob Blake inKenosha, Wisconsin, the Milwaukee Bucks boycotted Game 5 of their series against the Orlando Magic on August 26. Later that day, the NBA announced that in light of the Bucks' decision, all games for the day were postponed.^[64] The WNBA joined the protest and postponed their three games that were originally scheduled on Wednesday: Washington Mystics vs. Atlanta Dream; Los Angeles Sparks vs. Minnesota Lynx; Connecticut Sun vs. Phoenix Mercury.^[65] Games were again postponed on August 27.^[66] Games resumed on Friday, August 28.^[67]

• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on basketball

• 2020 WNBA season
• 2020 in sports in Florida
• WNBA seasons
• Basketball events postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic

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