The WNBA and the WNBA Players Association have reached an agreement on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, though it is pending ratification by the players and the league’s Board of Governors, according to a league statement.

This CBA is a monumental moment in WNBA history, as the changes in the eight-year pact will provide a new foundation for the league's standards, one that includes nearly doubling the maximum salary, paid maternity leave, and improved travel accommodations, among other perks:

“We approached these negotiations with a player-first agenda, and I am pleased that this agreement guarantees substantial increases in compensation and progressive benefits for the women of the WNBA,” said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert.  “I want to thank the players, led by WNBPA President Nneka Ogwumike and the WNBPA Executive Committee, as well as WNBPA Executive Director Terri Jackson, for their hard work, innovative thinking and professionalism throughout the process.  I also want to thank the league’s Labor Relations Committee and Board of Governors for their investment, commitment and leadership as we look forward to working together to make the WNBA a sustainable and thriving business for generations of women’s basketball players to come.”

Players have voiced their concern about the pay disparity between the WNBA and its sibling league, the NBA, for years — making sure to note why so many of the game's biggest stars also play overseas and why some had begun to prioritize their overseas career over the WNBA.

In a recent segment of “The Tea,” a show by The Players' Tribune, Breanna Stewart of the Seattle Storm said she makes more in a month of playing for Russian powerhouse Dynamo Kursk than she does in a full season for the Storm:

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Changes in this CBA will allow for better compensation, travel and practice accommodations, player benefits, and a 50-50 revenue sharing system (similar to the NBA), which will start with the 2021 season.

Players will have a minimum of $750,000 in prize money for special competitions beginning in 2021, along with increases in cash bonuses for performance awards (WNBA MVP and Rookie of the Year), and new cash bonuses for individual accolades like the WNBA All-Defensive First Team.

Players will receive a full salary while on maternity leave, along with a $5,000 annual childcare stipend, a two-bedroom apartment for those with children, and workplace accommodations that provide a more comfortable and private place for nursing mothers.

The league has also made other adjustments to free agency and career-development opportunities. For a full list of the new CBA changes, read the full release.