Dallas Wings star Paige Bueckers wants to see the WNBA make this adjustment for the next Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
The WNBA’s current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is set to expire after the 2025 season, and the next one will be crucial for the league’s continued growth, especially considering the recent surge in popularity fueled by young stars like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and Paige Bueckers. These players have played a major role in the league’s rising profile over the past couple of seasons.
While a key area in need of improvement is the significant increase in player salaries, Bueckers highlighted another important issue during her appearance on Deja Kelly’s NILOSOPHY podcast on June 27.
“You want the best product, so maybe extending the season,” Bueckers said during the podcast. “I know there’s gonna be more teams, so that does mean more games. So could we expand it?
“For me… and the other rookies, maybe push the [WNBA regular season] start date back a little bit. The turnaround [from the NCAA] is insane. It’s not always best for the bodies,” she added.
Bueckers is pointing out that after leading the UConn Huskies to victory in the 2025 NCAA national championship on April 6, her transition to the WNBA was a quick turnaround. She was selected by the Dallas Wings with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft on April 14, joined Dallas’ training camp starting on April 27, and played in their first regular-season game on May 16.
Essentially, Bueckers (along with every other rookie) has to juggle two seasons back-to-back: one in college and one in the WNBA. That’s a lot of basketball in a very short window. The next CBA could— and likely should— address this grueling schedule to ensure players have more time to rest and recover.
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