An early Wednesday morning announcement from the Women’s National Basketball Association and its athletes’ association confirmed they had provisionally settled on a fresh collective bargaining pact, concluding discussions that spanned over a year.
In a concise declaration, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert noted that crucial components of a renewed collective bargaining agreement had been mutually endorsed by both parties, whereas WNBPA Vice President Breanna Stewart characterized the arrangement as “revolutionary” when speaking to journalists in New York.
The preliminary outline of the understanding is slated for distribution to the athletes and the WNBA’s governing board, awaiting their formal ratification.
Under the terms of the disclosed accord, the salary cap for the WNBA is poised to dramatically increase from $1.5 million to $7 million, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, who also furnished further particulars regarding the reported arrangement.
This significant development emerges more than a week beyond March 10, the target date proposed by the WNBA for the commencement of its season without delay. Throughout the preceding seven days, both delegations engaged in extensive negotiation rounds in Manhattan, aiming to resolve contentious issues within their discussions, primarily concerning the division of income.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert experienced friction with the athletes throughout talks, yet both parties convened during the early hours of Wednesday to mark their fresh accord. (Imagery provided by Ian Maule/Getty Images)
(Contribution from Ian Maule through Getty Images)
“This marks a momentous occasion for female athletics,” declared Nneka Ogwumike, president of the WNBPA, as quoted by Doug Feinberg of the Associated Press. She continued, “I conveyed to Cathy that this extends beyond merely the athletes joining the league or those presently absent. We are profoundly thankful for reaching an understanding. We hold our efforts in high regard.”
Engelbert confirmed that pre-season training and the 2026 season would commence as planned, with the organization’s 30th season set to launch on the eighth of May.
“A definitive term sheet requires finalization, yet the advancements achieved through these dialogues represent a monumental leap for both the athletes and the competition,” stated Engelbert. She added, “This highlights a mutual dedication to ensuring the sustained development of the sport.”
The athletes elected to withdraw from the preceding collective bargaining agreement in October 2024, aiming to champion an income-distribution framework that would link their earnings to the enterprise’s performance. This objective was established as their foremost concern, demonstrated by their attire of “Pay Us What You Owe Us” shirts during the All-Star event and throughout the intense phases of discussions.
Following the failure to meet the initial collective bargaining agreement deadline last year, the league and the players’ association entered a period of “unchanged conditions,” persisting with negotiations even after a second deadline extension concluded on January 9. A temporary agreement struck shortly thereafter caused a delay in free agency, leading to the first in-person meeting of the year between the parties on February 2. Subsequently, both the union and the league exchanged proposals, while divisions began to surface within the player group. By mid-December, athletes cast a near-unanimous vote to empower the WNBPA executive committee to sanction a work stoppage.
Engelbert consistently stated the organization’s desire for athletes to earn increased compensation, asserting it would happen, though the precise methodology remained a point of contention. While a revenue-sharing framework existed in the prior collective bargaining agreement, its arrangement differed from what the athletes sought in the current discussions. In an unprecedented event, the league generated sufficient funds in 2025 to activate revenue sharing provisions. During the talks, the league’s proposals were grounded in a percentage of net revenue, contrasting with the union’s approach which utilized gross revenue and incorporated funds from expansion fees in its propositions.
Key discussion points further encompassed aspects such as ranking importance, accommodation supplied by teams, benefits for retirement and family planning, benchmarks for facilities, and essential player classifications.
The ratification of this accord means the association will bypass a labor interruption, which would have represented its inaugural such event. The WNBA is set to mark its thirtieth year when games resume in 2026, yet it must first navigate an accelerated and demanding off-season now that negotiations are concluded.
Focus now shifts towards an expansion draft involving two new teams, the Portland Fire and the Toronto Tempo. The specifics of this draft were integrated into the collective bargaining discussions; consequently, incumbent teams were unable to formulate their player protection rosters in the absence of established criteria. An additional three franchises are slated to become members before the close of the decade.
A compressed free agency period is also anticipated. In the prior year, qualifying bids and core player designations were issued between January 11 and 20, with player talks potentially commencing on January 21. This schedule will necessitate a later adjustment within the year, leading to what promises to be an exceptionally active free agency phase. Nearly all players, with the exception of two not currently on rookie agreements, are eligible for free agency, positioning them to fully capitalize on the revised collective bargaining agreement.
