NEW YORK, March 20, 2026 – The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) announced today that they have reached a tentative agreement on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), pending ratification by the players and the league’s Board of Governors.
The new seven-year CBA, which will commence with the 2026 season and run through 2032, represents one of the most transformational labor agreements ever reached in major professional sports.
“This Collective Bargaining Agreement represents a defining moment in the WNBA’s 30-year history and all of women’s professional sports,” said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. “Since its inception, the WNBA has been shaped by extraordinary athletes who believed in the league’s future. The agreement is a testament to that belief and to the tremendous progress we have achieved together.”
“Over these past months, this group showed exactly who they are, prepared, relentless, and united when it mattered most, with a clear understanding that their value drives this business and when players win, the league wins,” said WNBPA Executive Director Terri Carmichael Jackson. “This agreement delivers what players set out to do from the beginning, transforming the economics of this league. It marks a new era led by players who know their power and chose to use it.”
“We’ve always believed that as this league grows, the players who power it must grow with it, and we’re proud to see that belief shared,” said WNBPA President and 10-Time All-Star Nneka Ogwumike. “We love this game enough to push for what it can become, not just for ourselves, but for those who built this league and those who will carry it forward. This agreement reflects that shared commitment, with players owning their value and future alongside a league growing stronger because of it.”
The 2026 CBA establishes the first comprehensive revenue-sharing model in women’s professional sports history. This groundbreaking model provides unlimited upside for players as league and team revenues continue to grow.
The new system will result in significant increases in player compensation, with the league projecting more than $1 billion in player salaries and benefits over the seven-year agreement. The salary cap for the 2026 season will be set at $7.0 million and will adjust annually based on league and team revenue growth.
The league’s top players will gain the ability to sign the first multi-million-dollar contracts in WNBA history. Maximum-contract players will earn a salary of $1.4 million in 2026 that is expected to grow to more than $2.4 million by 2032, based on current financial projections. The league’s average salary is expected to be $583,000 in 2026 and increase to over $1 million by 2032. Minimum salaries will range from $270,000 to $300,000 in 2026 (based on years of service) and will range from $340,000 to $380,000 by 2032.
The agreement also establishes a new rookie contract scale that significantly increases salaries for top draft picks, including the No. 1 overall pick in 2026 projected to earn $500,000.
All existing rookie-scale contracts will also be adjusted upward, delivering meaningful pay increases for players at every stage of their careers. The agreement also creates an expedited pathway to maximum-level contracts for players on rookie deals who earn MVP or All-WNBA First or Second Team honors. In addition, starting in 2027, players with seven or more years of service cannot be designated as Core Players.
The deal includes significant investments in the overall player experience, including enhanced standards for team facilities, expanded team staffing requirements, fully codified league-wide charter air travel, first-class travel accommodations, and significantly increased performance bonuses for individual award winners and playoff and Finals participants. It also includes substantial enhancements for retirees and retirement planning, with expanded team contributions to player 401(k) accounts, enhanced benefits for players with children or who are family planning, and recognition payments for WNBA veterans and retired players based on years of service.
The deal also includes an increased minimum roster size of 12 players plus two more roster spots for developmental players, and salary cap exceptions for injured or pregnant players. Fans will also experience more WNBA basketball through an increase of up to 50 games in 2027 and 2028, and up to 52 games in 2029 through 2032.
Key elements of the tentative agreement can be found here.