The WNBA and the WNBPA introduced a tentative Collective Bargaining Settlement on Friday, creating what either side view as a transformational labor settlement. As soon as ratified, the brand new settlement will start in 2026 and run by way of 2032 with an opt-out within the seventh 12 months.
“This Collective Bargaining Settlement represents a defining second within the WNBA’s 30-year historical past and all of girls’s skilled sports activities,” mentioned WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. “Since its inception, the WNBA has been formed by extraordinary athletes who believed within the league’s future. The settlement is a testomony to that perception and to the super progress we’ve achieved collectively.”
Participant salaries will attain historic ranges. Over the following seven years, the WNBA expects at hand out greater than $1 billion in salaries and advantages. The wage cap rises to $7 million in 2026, with room to develop annually because the league and its groups generate extra income.
Participant Bonuses: https://t.co/VHZaeBzF8P pic.twitter.com/Zl1qVl9xXJ
— Sara Jane Gamelli (@SaraJGamelli) March 20, 2026
For the primary time, WNBA stars will signal multi-million-dollar offers. The utmost contract quantity begins at $1.4 million in 2026 and will high $2.4 million by 2032. Common salaries are set to climb too, from $583,000 in 2026 to greater than $1 million by the top of the deal. Even the league’s minimal salaries are shifting from $270,000 to $300,000 in 2026, as much as $340,000 to $380,000 by 2032.
New CBA Particulars
The brand new rookie contract scale means high draft picks will see a giant bounce in pay. The No. 1 decide in 2026 will earn $500,000. Each rookie-scale contract will get a lift, so gamers at each stage see extra money. There’s a quick monitor to max offers now, too—rookies who earn MVP or All-WNBA honors can bounce straight to the highest. And beginning in 2027, veterans with seven or extra years within the league can’t be tagged as Core Gamers anymore.
“We’ve all the time believed that as this league grows, the gamers who energy it should develop with it, and we’re proud to see that perception shared,” mentioned WNBPA President and 10-Time All-Star Nneka Ogwumike. “We love this recreation sufficient to push for what it might probably turn into, not only for ourselves, however for individuals who constructed this league and people who will carry it ahead. This settlement displays that shared dedication, with gamers proudly owning their worth and future alongside a league rising stronger due to it.”
Different advantages for gamers embrace larger requirements for workforce services, extra employees, constitution flights for each journey, and first-class journey. Bonuses for award winners and playoff runs are getting a significant bump. Retirees are included, too, with greater 401(okay) contributions, higher advantages for gamers with households, and new recognition funds for veterans and retired gamers.
Roster sizes usually are not going to extend straight by having greater than 12 customary contract gamers. Nevertheless, the league is including two developmental roster spots that don’t depend towards the wage cap. There are new wage cap breaks for injured or pregnant gamers, and the participant should consent to a commerce.
The common season will develop to as many as 52 video games by 2029. Nevertheless, the following improve within the schedule will increase the variety of video games from 44 to 50 in 2027, then to 52 from 2029 by way of 2032.
