A historic summer for the WNBA has been followed by a historic regular season. After player representatives and commissioner Cathy Engelbert agreed to a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), A'ja Wilson and Kelsey Mitchell have led a league-wide offensive explosion by becoming the first players to break the 1,000-point mark in the same season.
New fans of the WNBA are discovering what its loyal community already knew: this is a product poised to spark a seismic shift. If there was ever any doubt about the life-changing pay rises the league's stars have received, an enthralling 2026 season has put that doubt to rest.
A'ja Wilson and Kelsey Mitchell have been at the forefront of a spectacular offensive year, averaging 26.2 and 24.7 points per game, respectively. While defense is a crucial component of basketball, every spectator pays their hard-earned money to see the scoreboard lit up -- both players have done that this season.
The historic heights that Wilson and Mitchell have reached this season have been remarkable, but they are far from an anomaly. No other player may have reached the incredible feat the duo has; however, the offensive eruption has been a league-wide trend.
WNBA scoring has taken a significant leap
Naturally, the total points accumulated throughout the regular season were always going to reach new levels with two expansion teams joining the league. Nevertheless, a team's scoring average per game has taken a big leap this year, further validating the WNBA's new CBA agreement.
Throughout the 2026 season, the league-wide average was approximately 87.07 points per game -- around 5.3 points higher than the 2025 average (81.7). While this may only seem like a small increase from the previous season, it is impressive considering the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo entered the league, meaning more teams had to hit higher numbers to improve the tally.
Statistics should only ever be the beginning of a conversation, not the end. Often, we rely on numbers to back up our argument while ignoring what truly matters most: the eye test. Any returning fan could feel an intensity shift this year. The pace of games was fast and ferocious. Physicality, aggression, and passion seemingly hit an all-time high. Off-court noise united much of the league, and it feels like the WNBA is ready to enter a new stratosphere.
Only 12 months ago, the end of the regular season was marred by uncertainty over CBA discussions and what the future held for the 2026 season. Well, one thing is for sure: this year has entered uncharted territory, proving the WNBA is only just getting started, and these stars deserve their bumper paycheques.
A'ja Wilson and Kelsey Mitchell are rightfully receiving the plaudits for fantastic individual scoring campaigns. However, the entire league has put on an offensive masterclass all year long, validating their push for increased financial compensation.
Add us as a preferred source on Google