The WNBA and WNBPA have finally reached an agreement on a new CBA that will immediately increase players' pay, effective in the 2026 season.
While there are many terms to the agreement, the biggest one is the increased salary cap. Teams operated under a $1.5 million salary cap in 2025, a number that will balloon to $7 million in 2026, ESPN's Shams Charania reported.
The new salary cap is nearly five times what it was in 2025. with supermax contracts beginning at $1.4 million. Minimum contracts will be above $300,000, while the average salary will be in the range of $600,000.
Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale currently leads the league with a $725,952 contract, while nobody earns more per year than Las Vegas Aces guard Jackie Young's $252,450 annual salary.
While the CBA is just a verbal agreement for now, the WNBA is set to pay its players on a revenue-share basis for the first time, ESPN's Alexa Philippou reported. WNPA president Nneka Ogwumike expects the update to also “raise the standard across facilities, staffing and support.”
The drawn-out negotiation finally concluded shortly after the WNBA and WNPA held a 12-hour meeting to close in on a new CBA. After the meeting, WNPA executive director Terri Jackson said the talks were going in the “right direction,” and WBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert added that she hoped to reach a conclusion within the next week.
The CBA prevents a potential player holdout that could have delayed the 2026 season. Only a handful of players are currently under contract, despite being less than two months from opening night, with the majority waiting for the agreement to sign more lucrative deals.
