INDIANAPOLIS — There will be a full WNBA season after all.
After a year and half of collective bargaining agreement negotiations, the WNBA and WNBPA announced early Wednesday morning that the two sides have come to an agreement. It comes less than two months before the start of the season on May 8.
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The WNBA set multiple deadlines, including March 10 and March 16, for an agreement to be reached before it started affecting the season. But, after eight days of marathon bargaining in New York, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said there should not be any delay to the regular season.
“Everything is (on track)” Engelbert told media at the scene, including ESPN, FOS, and Title IX Sports, when asked if the season would start on time. “We plan on opening training camp on time … maybe we’ll give (the lawyers) some sleep tonight and tomorrow. And then we’ll move into long-form, then hopefully expansion draft, free agency, college draft, training camp, preseason, and tip off the season on May 8.”
Details shared by ESPN’s Shams Charania include a salary cap starting at $7 million in 2026, which is over four times the $1.5 million salary cap in 2025. The supermax will start at $1.4 million, according to Charania, and the minimum will be over $300,000, with a revenue share number of around 20% gross revenue.
There are not yet details on the length of the deal or any potential changes to the core service requirements or housing.
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“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 professional standard across facilities, staffing and support,” WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike told the local media. “It strengthens housing and retirement, and expands resources for family planning and parental leave. It redefines what it means to be a professional in this league.”
So, what does this mean for the Fever?
It’s now going to be a race to May 8 for Fever president of basketball operations Kelly Krauskopf and general manager Amber Cox. They will need to weather through a double-expansion draft, a qualifying offer period, free agency for over 100 players, and the college draft over the next seven weeks before training camp is slated to open on April 19.
The WNBA shared a potential timeline with teams’ front offices last month outlining how a condensed offseason would happen.
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WNBA offseason dates: expansion draft, free agency, draft, training camp
These dates are subject to change, considering the league based them off a completed CBA term sheet by March 10:
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By March 31: CBA ratified by players and owners
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April 1-6: Expansion draft window. Under this timeline, protected lists would be due to the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo on April 1, and the expansion draft would likely be on April 6 following the women’s college basketball championship game.
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April 7-8: Qualifying offers to go out. The Fever may be eligible to extend a core qualifying offer to Kelsey Mitchell and restricted qualifying offer to Lexie Hull, dependent on service changes in the CBA.
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April 9-11: Free agency negotiation window opens. Teams and free agents can agree to a deal, but not yet sign.
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April 12-18: Free agency signing period
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April 13: Collegiate entry draft
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April 19: Training camp opens
What’s next for the WNBA expansion draft, Indiana Fever
The specific details of the expansion draft, which is governed by the CBA, are not yet available. Looking at the prior multi-team expansion drafts in the league, however, existing teams will likely be able to protect five players.
The Fever have three players under contract for 2027: Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston and Makayla Timpson. Lexie Hull is a restricted free agent and Kelsey Mitchell may be eligible to be cored again (if the core rules remain the same). That leaves Kristy Wallace and Chloe Bibby, two other players the Fever have the rights to, unprotected for the Tempo or Fire. All of the Fever’s other 2025 players are unrestricted free agents.
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Krauskopf and Cox will also need to contend with potential changes to the core service requirements, of which the details are not yet available to the public.
The prior CBA included two years of core service, which means the Fever could core Kelsey Mitchell for 2027. But the WNBA proposed a slight change to the core rules throughout CBA negotiations.
One proposal included players on the fourth year of their rookie contracts being able to sign a max contract extension if they were on an All-WNBA team, or a supermax if they won MVP in those rookie contract years. That would also allow those players to bypass the core service requirements, provided they sign the max extension with the same team.
It is unclear at this time if the final CBA term sheet adopted that proposal, or if the two sides changed anything in the core service requirement. More details will come about the specifics in the coming days.
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Chloe Peterson is the Indiana Fever beat reporter for IndyStar. Reach her at capeterson@gannett.com or follow her on X at @chloepeterson67. Get IndyStar’s Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Caitlin Clark Fever newsletter. Subscribe to IndyStar’s YouTube channel for Fever Insiders Live.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: What’s next for Indiana Fever with new CBA agreement, season on track
