The WNBA’s new collective bargaining agreement has been signed.
The league and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association signed the term sheet agreeing to the new CBA on Friday afternoon, the two sides announced.
“This collective bargaining agreement represents a defining moment in the WNBA”s 30-year history and all of women’s professional sports,” commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a statement. “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.”
After more than a year of negotiations, the two sides reached a tentative agreement on Wednesday morning. As part of that agreement, the WNBA’s salary cap will jump from $1.5 million to $7 million next season.
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The new deal will run through the 2032 campaign. Now that the term sheet has been signed, players and the WNBA Board of Governors will need to vote to officially approve it. A simple majority is needed for it to pass. It’s unclear when that vote will take place.
“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,” WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike said in a statement. “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.”
The new deal includes:
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A salary cap jump from $1.5 million to $7 million in 2026, which will adjust annually based on league and team revenue growth.
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Max-contract players will earn a $1.4 million salary in 2026, which will grow to more than $2.4 million by the end of the deal.
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The league’s average salary is expected to be $583,000 this season and will increase to over $1 million by the end of the deal.
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Minimum salaries will range from $270,000 to $300,000 in 2026, and will climb as high as $380,000 by the end of the deal.
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A new rookie contract scale, which will allow the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA Draft this spring to earn $500,000.
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An expedited pathway to max-level contracts for players on rookie deals who earn MVP or All-WNBA First or Second Team honors.
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Expanded standards for team facilities, expanded charter air travel, first-class travel and more.
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Increased performance bonuses for individual award winners, playoff and Finals participants.
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An increased minimum roster size of 12 players, with two additional roster spots for developmental players.
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A longer WNBA regular season, including up to 50 games in 2027 and 2028, and up to 52 games by 2029.
Players officially opted out of the previous CBA in October 2024, which led to long and tense negotiations. The biggest issue was the push for a revenue-sharing structure that tied salaries to the business. The two sides flew past the initial deadline last year and continued negotiating in recent months. Players had voted to authorize a strike if necessary in December.
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The new deal this week was only reached after marathon bargaining sessions in New York, which flew past another target date of March 10. That was the date the league suggested a deal would need to be done in order for the 2026 season to start on time.
While they are now 10 days late, Engelbert said that the 2026 season will still be able to start on time after all. The league’s 30th season is scheduled to begin May 8.
The WNBA will now have to hold a two-team expansion draft — as the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo will officially join the league this season — the regular WNBA Draft on April 13, and a condensed free-agency period.
While it was a contentious and difficult stretch for the league at times, the two sides have come back together just in time for basketball to be played this summer.
