The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) had just closed its second season with the Minnesota Frost back-to-back Walter Cup Champions when talk turned to imminent expansion. After playing its first two seasons with six teams, the PWHL will expand to eight teams for 2026.
This year’s WNBA season has 13 teams thanks to the Golden State Valkyries, and next year will bring teams in Portland and Toronto. With attendance surging and viewership rising, now is a ripe time for women’s hoops. It is no longer a novelty for a WNBA player to have a signature shoe, quite different from when Sheryl Swoopes’ Nike Air Swoopes debuted in 1995.
Reebok is scheduled to release Angel Reese’s first shoe in 2026 and a cool signature logo has already been revealed. Nike makes Sabrina Ionescu shoes for men, women and kids. The Breanna Stewart Collection for PUMA is popping. A’ja Wilson has the Nike A’One, and Caitlin Clark’s Nike shoe is set to release.
Don’t be fooled by sellout crowds; women are a long way from equality. Although WNBA salaries have certainly increased, the average NBA individual salary is roughly what an entire roster earns in the W. That said, things are definitely on the upswing. While some players still choose to go overseas in the WNBA off-season, viable options have picked up stateside with Unrivaled and Athletes Unlimited.
Candace Parker, the only person to win WNBA titles with three different teams (Sparks, Sky and Aces), has recently released her first book, ”The Can-Do Mindset: How to Cultivate Resilience, Follow Your Heart, and Fight for Your Passions.” CAN-DO is an acronym for leaning on your Community, showing up Authentically, realizing Negativity is part of life, embracing the everyday Dash and fighting for Opportunity for yourself and others.
Parker’s insights apply perfectly to women’s sports and serve as a reminder that athletes and fans need to keep up the hustle and cultivate community. That can start with more solid collaboration and less jumping on the bandwagon. There are currently three professional women’s volleyball leagues and a fourth set to debut in 2026. While opportunities for players are great, four leagues are likely not sustainable.
It’s also not sustainable to attribute a league’s success to a single player. Caitlin Clark is fantastic, but pressing a panic button because she has an injury undermines the overall value of the WNBA. Sometimes athletes sustain injuries. Take a moment to appreciate all the talent the league has to offer. Here’s my suggestion: Watch how Clark’s teammates step up in her absence. Aliyah Boston and DeWanna Bonner have some fierce moves!