The WNBA and WNBA Players Association (WNBPA) have reached a verbal agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement, ending nearly 18 months of negotiations and ensuring the 2026 season will proceed as scheduled. Training camps will open April 19, and the season tips off May 8.
The deal introduces a new player pay structure, expected to quadruple team salary caps. Max-contract players could earn over $1 million per year, while the average salary is projected to rise from around $120,000 to $570,000 annually. Importantly, for the first time, players will receive a guaranteed percentage of league revenue, fulfilling a major union demand.
The agreement comes after marathon negotiations, including four consecutive days of talks in New York with sessions stretching into the night. WNBPA executive director Terri Carmichael Jackson emphasized the importance of careful negotiation and player involvement in shaping a transformational CBA.
The league will feature 15 teams this summer—the most since 2002—bolstered by rising franchise valuations, expansion fees, and record-breaking viewership. New expansion teams in Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia are expected to debut in the coming years after paying record $250 million expansion fees.
The WNBA also enters an 11-year media rights deal worth approximately $200 million annually, with games airing on Disney, Amazon, NBCUniversal, Ion, and USA Network. With the CBA in place, fans can now fully focus on the court and the league’s growth trajectory.