WNBA to return in July with 22-game season in Florida

The WNBA is coming back.

The league announced Monday that it’s finalizing plans for a 22-game season without spectators beginning in July at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. The school’s campus will serve as a single-site location, housing the teams for training camp and games.

Playoffs are expected to be conducted in a traditional format.

The WNBA said its priority continues to be the health of the players and staff, noting that the league is working with top medical specialists, public experts and government officials to establish the proper guidelines and protocols.

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said players will receive full salaries and benefits.

“We are finalizing a season start plan to build on the tremendous momentum generated in the league during the offseason and have used the guiding principles of health and safety of players and essential staff to establish necessary and extensive protocols,” Engelbert said in a statement. “We will continue to consult with medical experts and public health officials as well as players, team owners and other stakeholders as we move forward with our execution plan.”

The New York Times reported that players have until June 25 to opt into the plan.

Bill Laimbeer, the Aces’ coach and president of basketball operations, said general manager Dan Padover is going to IMG on Tuesday to scout the location and assess the team’s needs. Laimbeer said the bubble is going to be “weird’ and that he expects the season to be exhausting and challenging.

“It’s more about the mental preparation going into this thing,” Laimbeer said of his conversations with Aces players ahead of Monday’s announcement. “It’s going to be intense. It’s going to be tiring. And there will be moments when people are down because it’s a different environment. … A lot of unknowns, so you just try to tell them to mentally prepare for whatever happens. You have to be strong and push through it.”

The WNBA also announced that it will continue its commitment to social justice following the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery. The season “will include a devoted platform led by the players that will aim to support and strengthen both the league and teams’ reach and impact on social justice matters.”

Added Engelbert: “The WNBA opposes racism in all its forms, and George Floyd and Breonna Taylor are the latest names in a list of countless others who have been subject to police brutality that stems from the systemic oppression of Black Lives in America. It is our collective responsibility to use our platforms to enact change.”

Nneka Ogwumike, president of the WNBA Players’ Association, said in a statement that playing the 2020 season provides the players and league an “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,” she said. “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.”

Laimbeer said players have been the driving force behind the league’s dialogue and messaging about social justice and are working with the league on a comprehensive platform “for all of us” to use during the season.

“We’re all going to be very supportive,” Laimbeer said. “(The players) are the ones people pay attention to. They don’t pay attention to staff. They’re the ones that are going to come up with collectively how we’re going to approach all this, and rightfully so.”

The Aces also announced it would provide full refunds for its 2020 season ticket packages. Season ticket holders also can opt into memberships for the 2021 season with this year’s dues going toward the balance.

Contact reporter Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.