The China Mail - WNBA, players union confirm agreement on 'groundbreaking' labor deal

The new collective bargaining agreement, which will commence with the 2026 season and run through 2032, will see the salary cap skyrocket from $1.5 million to $7 million in 2026 and will adjust annually based on league and team revenue growth, the league and union said in a statement.

"The 2026 CBA establishes the first comprehensive revenue-sharing model in women's professional sports history," the statement said. "This groundbreaking model provides unlimited upside for players as league and team revenues continue to grow."

Under the new deal, the league's top players will gain the ability to sign the first multi-million-dollar contracts in WNBA history.

Maximum-contract players will earn a salary of $1.4 million in 2026 that is expected to grow to more than $2.4 million by 2032, based on current financial projections.

The league's average salary is expected to be $583,000 in 2026 and increase to over $1 million by 2032.

Minimum salaries will range from $270,000 to $300,000 in 2026 (based on years of service) and will range from $340,000 to $380,000 by 2032. That's compared to $66,000 last year.

A new rookie contract scale will increase salaries for top draft picks and creates an "expedited pathway" to maximum level contracts for players still on their rookie deals who earn Most Valuable Player or All-WNBA honors.

The deal, which was verbally agreed earlier this week, must still be formally ratified by players.

It also includes investments in enhanced standards for team facilities, expanded team staffing requirements and league-wide charter air-travel.

"This Collective Bargaining Agreement represents a defining moment in the WNBA's 30-year history and all of women's professional sports," said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert.

"Since its inception, the WNBA has been shaped by extraordinary athletes who believed in the league's future. The agreement is a testament to that belief and to the tremendous progress we have achieved together."

The deal means the WNBA's 30th season will open on schedule on May 8.

It draws a line under an increasingly acrimonious dispute between the WNBA and the Women's National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) that had rumbled on for several months.

Engelbert, in particular, had come under fire from senior players over her stewardship of the sport, with Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier accusing her of "negligent" governance.

"We've always believed that as this league grows, the players who power it must grow with it, and we're proud to see that belief shared," said WNBPA president and 10-time All-Star Nneka Ogwumike.

"We love this game enough to push for what it can become, not just for ourselves, but for those who built this league and those who will carry it forward.

"This agreement reflects that shared commitment, with players owning their value and future alongside a league growing stronger because of it."

L.Johnson--ThChM