WNBA Reaches Landmark Agreement: First Million-Dollar Players on the Horizon

NEW YORK — The WNBA is poised to enter a new era of financial stability and player empowerment after reaching an agreement in principle on a transformational collective bargaining agreement (CBA) early Wednesday morning. The deal, reached after over 100 hours of negotiations over the past eight days, will usher in the league’s first million-dollar players and significantly increase compensation across the board.

While a formal term sheet is still being finalized and requires ratification by the players and approval from the WNBA Board of Governors, the key elements of the agreement have been revealed. WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert stated, “The progress made in these discussions marks a transformative step forward for players and the league,” emphasizing a shared commitment to the continued growth of the game. ESPN reported on the details shortly after the agreement was reached.

Key Provisions of the New CBA

• Salary Cap: The salary cap will commence at $7 million for the 2026 season, a substantial increase from the $1.5 million cap in 2025.
• Supermax Contracts: Top players will be eligible for supermax contracts starting at $1.4 million in the first year, a significant jump from the $249,244 supermax in 2025.
• Average Salary: The average player salary is projected to be around $600,000, compared to $120,000 in 2025.
• Minimum Salary: The minimum salary will exceed $300,000, a considerable improvement over the $66,079 minimum in 2025.
• Revenue Sharing: Players will receive nearly 20% of league revenue across the length of the deal.

A Victory for Player Empowerment

WNBPA President Nneka Ogwumike highlighted the significance of tying player salaries to league revenue, stating, “For the first time player salaries are tied to a truly meaningful share of league revenue, driving exponential growth in the salary cap, increasing average compensation beyond half a million dollars and raising the standard across facilities, staffing and support.” WTHR reported on Ogwumike’s comments.

Union Vice President Breanna Stewart added that the deal is “transformational” and will “build and help create a system where everybody is getting exactly what they deserve.”

Looking Ahead

The agreement comes after the players opted out of their previous CBA 17 months ago and five months after it was initially set to expire. Alysha Clark, a member of the union’s executive committee, explained that the opt-out was necessary given that “what we were giving to this league and what we were getting back didn’t match.”

With the key elements aligned, the league now faces a busy off-season, including an expansion draft for the new teams in Toronto and Portland, negotiations with a large number of free agents (over 80% of players are free agents), and the start of training camps on April 19, just weeks before the season tips off on May 8.