The deal could influence other women’s leagues by setting a new standard
⭐️HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW⭐️
The WNBA reached a new collective bargaining agreement that raises player salaries and improves benefits.
Players will also get a bigger share of the league’s revenue as the league grows in popularity.
WNBA athletes will now have access to better facilities and a more relaxed offseason.
The deal could influence other women’s leagues by setting a new standard.
Keep reading to find out more about this historic deal. ⬇️⬇️⬇️
The WNBA season is underway, and players are making history both on and off the court.
On May 22, the league announced that it had officially signed a new deal with the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA), the union that represents players.
The new agreement includes a revenue-sharing system that will deliver more than $1 billion US toward higher player salaries, benefits and better conditions for team facilities and travel.
This means teams can now spend up to $7 million US in total on player salaries.
Some of the league’s top players could earn more than $1 million US a season, with average salaries exceeding $500,000 US — a major increase from previous years.
To put it into perspective, Paige Bueckers, the 2025 No. 1 draft pick, was projected to earn $78,831 US in her rookie year. This year’s first overall pick, Azzi Fudd, is expected to make $500,000 US.
What led to the deal?
Experts say players pushed for change as the league grew in popularity.
Michele Donnelly, an associate professor of sports management at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario, said it started in 2020. That’s when the WNBPA renegotiated their previous collective bargaining agreement, which is a labour contract between unionized workers and their employer.
As a result, athletes no longer had to share hotel rooms or fly economy, and received better parental leave benefits.
Nneka Ogwumike, centre, is the president of the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA). (Image Credit: Luiza Moraes/Getty Images)
Over the next few seasons, the WNBA experienced a lot of growth in viewership and fan interest. So when the players entered negotiations for their next agreement last year, they demanded higher pay.
“I think one of the biggest takeaway messages is what having a strong players association with active, vocal athletes can do in terms of reaching an agreement,” Donnelly said.
What does this mean for the players?
Katie Lebel is an assistant professor who studies the business side of sports at the University of Guelph in Guelph, Ontario. She said this agreement changes how players benefit from the league’s growing media success.
The WNBA now earns billions of dollars from broadcast agreements and the new deal gives players a bigger share of that revenue.
The Toronto Tempo are one of the newest teams as a part of the WNBA expansion. (Image credit: Bailey McLean/Getty Images)
“The league has grown a lot and they’ve seen greater investment from sponsors and larger TV deals,” said Lebel.
“The players really pushed for a fair share of that growth.”
She added that women’s sports fans are highly engaged, which makes athletes even more valuable to advertisers.
Canadian basketball player Kayla Alexander, who played eight seasons in the WNBA, said this new deal raises the standards for women’s professional basketball.
When she played for the San Antonio Stars, now the Las Vegas Aces, she said they did not have their own practice facility, so they held practices in public gyms and church basketball courts.
“Seeing that change, now that the league is going to have a certain level of standard and opportunities, is incredible,” Alexander told CBC Kids News.
Kayla Alexander is a Canadian basketball player who played in the WNBA from 2013-20. She is also a member of Team Canada. (Image Credit: Kelly Defina/Getty Images)
Alexander added that WNBA players would often have to play overseas during the offseason to supplement their income, but with the salary increase, they can now use that time to rest and recover.
What does this mean for other women’s sports leagues?
Lebel said the agreement could influence players in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) and National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) when they negotiate future contracts.
“This really sets a precedent in what athletes deserve, in terms of revenue share,” she said.
Donnelly says women’s sports are growing fast, but newer leagues are still getting started.
She pointed out the PWHL’s strong attendance numbers as a reason that interest is growing, but she said it would be unfair to expect newer leagues to make as much money as the WNBA right away.
The minimum salary in the PWHL this season is $37,131 US, and in the NWSL, it’s $50,500 US.
Donnelly told Kids News leagues like the PWHL and the NWSL still need time to grow before they can offer similar contracts.
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TOP IMAGE CREDIT: Steph Chambers/Getty Images