The WNBA is finally back. On Wednesday, the WNBA and the players' union reached a verbal agreement on a transformative new CBA. Once formally ratified by both sides, the new CBA will allow the 2026 WNBA season to proceed as scheduled without any delays to the regular season. New details have emerged since Wednesday's announcement that make this agreement look great for players.
The WNBA's projected salary cap under the proposed CBA should exceed $10 million by the end of the agreement, sources told ESPN's Alexa Philippou.
ESPN's Shams Charania reported on Wednesday that the 2026 salary cap will reach $7 million, up from $1.5 million in 2025. During the previous CBA, the salary cap reached $1.3 million in 2020 and rose by just 3% each season.
The proposed agreement will be a seven-year deal, including an opt-out after the sixth year. That suggests the salary cap will steadily increase from $7 million to $10 million throughout the course of the deal.
Players will love an increased salary cap because it means higher salaries for everyone. The minimum salary will be over $300,000 in 2026, up from just $66,079 in 2025. Supermax contracts will start at $1.4 million in 2026 and the average WNBA salary will be around $600,000.
Aces superstar A'ja Wilson is already expected to land a huge supermax contract under the new CBA terms.
The new CBA should include an average revenue share of 20% across the duration of the deal. However, Philippou explained that the exact mechanics of the revenue sharing system remains unclear.
“We're just really grateful to be able to come to a deal,” WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike said on Wednesday. “We're proud of ourselves, and quite frankly, we always told you all we were going to stand on business, and that's what this looks like.”
The future of the WNBA is looking bright as more details of the new CBA come to light.
