WNBA historic moment
The Phoenix Mercury will play the first-ever WNBA game in South Dakota — they face the Chicago Sky at the Sanford Pentagon on April 25, with coach Nate Tibbetts having local ties to Sioux Falls — and the league just closed a contentious chapter as players overwhelmingly ratified a new CBA (more than 90% voted ‘yes’), ending a 17-month stalemate over pay, housing and benefits. (arizonasports.com) (azfamily.com) (cbssports.com)
The Sanford Pentagon has a seating capacity of 3,250, opened in September 2013 and serves as the home court for the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA G League. (en.wikipedia.org) The Mercury’s announced two-game preseason slate also includes a matchup with the Japan Women’s National Team at the Mortgage Matchup Center on April 29, with both preseason games slated for broadcast on Arizona’s Family 3TV. (mercury.wnba.com) Head coach Nate Tibbetts grew up in Jefferson, South Dakota, transferred as a junior to Roosevelt High School in Sioux Falls and played collegiately at the University of South Dakota as a 6-foot-1 point guard. (en.wikipedia.org) Tibbetts began his coaching career in 2001 as an assistant at Sioux Falls (NAIA) and later held roles in the NBA G League before being hired as the Phoenix Mercury’s head coach. (ftw.usatoday.com) Players completed ratification of the new collective bargaining agreement over the weekend with more than 90% participation and a unanimous approval reported by the WNBPA on March 23, 2026. (nbcsports.com) The CBA runs seven years through 2032, projects more than $1 billion in player salaries and benefits, sets the 2026 salary cap at $7.0 million and establishes a 2026 individual maximum starting at $1.4 million. (wnba.com) (espn.com) The term sheet also ties player pay to revenue sharing (near 20% reported), raises average salaries to the mid-six-figure range, raises minimum salaries up to about $300,000 based on service time, and includes new investments in housing, retirement benefits, veteran recognition payments and two developmental roster spots per team. (cbssports.com)
