The WNBA’s board of governors unanimously ratified the terms of a new collective bargaining agreement on Tuesday.
Their vote came a day after the players also unanimously approved the seven-year CBA, which will begin this season and run through 2032. It represents a landmark labor deal for the WNBA and its players. Under the terms of the new deal, the minimum salary for the league will be $270,000 – last season the maximum salary was about $250,000. There will be hefty rewards for the best players, with the supermax salary coming in at $1.4m. The salary cap for each team this coming season will be $7m, up from $1.5m in 2025.
“This marks the beginning of a bold new era of the WNBA – one made possible by the passion and dedication of the players, team owners, fans, investors, partners and the entire WNBA family,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said. “We remain focused on building on the unprecedented momentum around the league and preparing for our milestone 30th season, tipping off in May.”
Lawyers on both sides are writing up the long form of the new agreement, which should be done soon.
Now there will be a sprint to the start of the regular season on 8 May.
First up is an expansion draft for the two new teams – Toronto and Portland. Rules regarding who the current teams will be able to protect and how the draft will work are still being figured out. The draft is expected to take place right around the NCAA Final Four.
Next up would be free agency. More than 80% of players are free agents this year as they had signed deals that were going to expire last year. There are only two veteran players not under rookie contracts who are signed for this season.
The college draft is scheduled for 13 April in New York.
Teams are expected to start training camp on 19 April and will have little time to get prepared for the regular season.
