The WNBA and its players union have dotted the final “i’s” in their new collective bargaining agreement, ending a process that saw substantial raises across the board for the players.
The two sides announced Friday that the final long form of the new CBA has been completed and signed, formally cementing a deal that will run through 2032, with an opt-out after 2031.
The agreement comes two weeks after the season began and two months after the terms were ratified by both the WNBA board of governors and the players. The long form agreement was still pending as the league basically executed its entire offseason in the month of April then began playing, but it was treated as a formality.
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With the WNBA’s revenue exploding thanks to its new TV deal, this CBA fight was long expected to be a contentious one. The players were sending public messages to the league that they deserved more, with many bracing for a labor stoppage.
The league and union blew past the initial CBA deadline last year and slowly exchanged proposals, with some division brewing on the players’ side over a strike authorization vote. However, the two sides eventually got together and figured things out in time for the 2026 season to be played on time.
The new CBA has many components, but the most important was always player compensation. Under the new deal, the minimum player salary has changed from roughly $66,000 in 2025 to $270,000 this year, the maximum has grown from $249,000 to $1.4 million and the salary cap has grown from $1.5 million to $7 million, with all of the latter figures growing over the next few years depending on league revenue.