In October of 2024, the WNBPA opted out of its collective bargaining agreement (CBA) to negotiate a life-altering deal for its members and the next generation of WNBA players. After entering the most pivotal bargaining period in the history of women’s sports, the WNBA and the players’ union have reached a verbal agreement on terms, according to Front Office Sports.
News of the deal broke in the early hours of Wednesday morning, ending a labor battle that lasted for nearly 18 months and was in danger of delaying the start of the 2026 season. The two sides entered an eight-day, 100-plus hours of bargaining in New York City that proved to be what was needed after swapping blows via press releases claiming a lack of cooperation and statements from players claiming WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert wasn’t as involved.
Extremely grateful for this group and many others for their dedication, passion, and countless hours of collaboration. A lot goes on behind the scenes, and all the hard work of this team has culminated in a historic day for women’s sports. 🧡 pic.twitter.com/baVBId6O1d
— WNBA (@WNBA) March 18, 2026
What can’t get lost in the excitement for basketball is the unity of the players and their goal of delivering a “transformational” CBA that pays athletes what they’ve earned and ensures investment from all sides of ownership. This battle wasn’t easy despite the steady stream of support from politicians, committees, and fellow labor unions across the spectrum.
Though a term sheet still needs to be ratified by the players and the WNBA’s board of governors, the promise was kept. We won’t know what’s in the deal in its entirety for a few weeks, but according to ESPN, the salary cap is up from $1.5 million to $7 million, the average revenue share will be around 20 percent across the life of the agreement, the supermax starts at $1.4 million (up from $250,000) and the average salary will be in the range of $600,000 (up from $120,000), with the minimum above $300,000 (up from $66,000).
After two self-imposed deadlines from the WNBA to settle for their last offer, the players stood tall and fought for what they had envisioned for years.
“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 Front Office Sports. “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.”
The flood of information regarding the CBA’s contents will continue to leak until the deal is officially cemented, but two items we’ve heard very little about are roster expansion and elongating the season. According to Sportico, the WNBA regular season is set to expand from 44 games to 52 games over the life of the new agreement. The current May-September window for the league is bursting at the seams, especially with international tournaments like the FIBA World Cup in September, EuroBasket, and the summer Olympics. Players have made their voices heard over the years when speaking about the grind of a regular season in the WNBA. We won’t know what’s in the deal for some time, but one can hope for the future.
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Born and raised in Chicago, Christan Braswell is a women’s sports journalist with a focus on the WNBA and women’s college basketball. He’s an avid fan of elevator screens and stuffed-crust pizza. Outside of sports, he’s an avid cook and lover of the great outdoors.
The United States women’s national basketball program has dominated the international stage for over two decades. Claiming eight consecutive Olympic gold medals and winning nine of the last 12 World […]
