The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the league’s players’ union said Friday they had reached a tentative agreement on a “groundbreaking” seven-year labour deal after months of tense negotiations.
The new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), which will commence with the 2026 season and run through 2032, will see the salary cap skyrocket from US$1.5 million to US$7 million in 2026 and will adjust annually based on league and team revenue growth, the league and union said in a statement.
“The 2026 CBA establishes the first comprehensive revenue-sharing model in women’s professional sports history,” the statement said. “This groundbreaking model provides unlimited upside for players as league and team revenues continue to grow.”
Under the new deal, the league’s top players will gain the ability to sign the first multimillion-dollar contracts in WNBA history.
Maximum-contract players will earn a salary of US$1.4 million in 2026 that is expected to grow to more than US$2.4 million by 2032, based on current financial projections.
The league’s average salary is expected to be US$583,000 in 2026 and increase to over US$1 million by 2032.