As the WNBA celebrated a historic new CBA, it was an unexpected comment from the NYC Mayor that sparked interest.
Zohran Mamdani joined the wave after sharing a picture with New York Liberty star Natasha Cloud on his X account.
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“One person in this photo deserves a 20% WNBA revenue share, and it’s not me. Congratulations to @TheWNBPA on their historic labor agreement.”
Within hours, the post crossed over 500K views, gaining traction as the league celebrated one of the most significant agreements in its history.
The timing of Mamdani’s post was far from random. It came right as the WNBA and WNBPA closed their chapter on CBA negotiations that stretched over a year and nearly disrupted the league’s offseason. However, in the end, they finally landed on one of the most transformative deals in league history. And at the center of it all is a massive financial leap.
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The salary cap is set to jump from $1.5 million to $7 million in 2026, with projections pushing it beyond $11 million by 2032. That kind of growth doesn’t just change numbers on paper; it reshapes how players are valued across the board.
Moreover:
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Average salaries are expected to climb to around $583,000 initially and could cross the $1 million mark by the end of the deal.
But this deal is not just to benefit the stars of the league, as the minimum salaries are set to rise into the $270,000–$300,000 range.
And then there’s the piece Mamdani pointed to directly, a new revenue-sharing model that gives players a 20% share of league revenue, which ties their earnings directly to the league’s growth for the first time.
Beyond salaries, the new agreement also focuses on player experience. From league-wide charter travel and improved facilities to enhanced retirement benefits and recognition payments for former players, the deal is an investment in both current and past athletes.
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However, in many ways, this CBA is about a league finally aligning its growth.
Breanna Stewart Gets Honest About What Was “Broken” Before WNBA’s New CBA
If the numbers tell you one side of the story, Stewart made sure the reality behind them wasn’t sugarcoated.
During a recent appearance on The View, Stewart was asked a simple question: What exactly needed fixing in the league before this new CBA came together? And her answer didn’t leave much room for interpretation.
“Pretty much everything was broken, so everything needed to be fixed, and that’s why it was so transformational,” she said. “The biggest part that you guys all see is the salaries going way higher, and that’s because we’re now a part of the revenue share, which means 20 percent of all the revenue that comes in for the WNBA, we get a part of.”
Jul 19, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Team Collier forward Breanna Stewart (30) reacts in the fourth quarter against Team Clark during the 2025 WNBA All Star Game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
That honesty cuts straight to the heart of what this agreement represents. Because for the first time, players aren’t just benefiting from growth, they’re directly tied to it. And that didn’t come easy.
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As Stewart explained a few days ago, this wasn’t a quick negotiation or an easy win. It took months of back-and-forth, constant pressure, and a refusal from the WNBPA to settle for anything less than a deal that truly shifted the league forward.
“It’s really hard because when you wanna have a transformational CBA like we did, there’s a lot of things that needed to be fixed,” she added. “But I thought that our team did an incredible job negotiating and really never giving up until we got exactly what we wanted.”
Now, with a new system in place, one which is projected to deliver over $1 billion in player salaries and benefits, the impact goes far beyond the present.
Because, as Stewart sees it, this isn’t just about today’s players getting paid. It’s about finally building something that lasts.
