One word to describe Friday’s news across the WNBA is History.
After negotiating for 10 days and more than 100 hours, it was announced that the league and its players’ union had reached a tentative deal on a historic CBA.
“This Collective Bargaining Agreement represents a defining moment in the WNBA’s 30-year history and all of women’s professional sports,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a press release. “Since its inception, the WNBA has been shaped by extraordinary athletes who believed in the league’s future. The agreement is a testament to that belief and to the tremendous progress we have achieved together.”
The seven-year agreement will start in 2026 and continue through 2032, highlighting its significance not just for the WNBA but for all of women’s sports in terms of pay equity.
“Over these past months, this group showed exactly who they are, prepared, relentless, and united when it mattered most, with a clear understanding that their value drives this business and when players win, the league wins,” WNBPA Executive Director Terri Carmichael Jackson said in a press release.
“This agreement delivers what players set out to do from the beginning, transforming the economics of this league. It marks a new era led by players who know their power and choose to use it.”
The deal includes important key topics that the players’ union and the league have discussed, such as player revenue, an increase in the salary cap (from $1.5 million in 2025 to $7 million in 2026), retirement benefits, and raised bonuses for award winners.
One notable change includes the addition of two roster spots for developmental players that do not count against the salary cap. This change will help teams dealing with player injuries.
In the 2023 offseason, an incident between the Las Vegas Aces and Los Angeles Sparks forward Dearica Hamby took place, where Hamby accused the Aces’ organization of pregnancy discrimination.
Now, under the WNBA’s new CBA, there’s a clause that states “Teams must obtain player consent before trading a pregnant player.”
“We’ve always believed that as this league grows, the players who power it must grow with it, and we’re proud to see that belief shared,” WNBPA President Nneka Ogwumike said. “We love this game enough to push for what it can become, not just for ourselves, but for those who built this league and those who will carry it forward. This agreement reflects that shared commitment, with players owning their value and future alongside a league growing stronger because of it.”
As women’s basketball has been getting more attention, there has been an increase in ticketing sales, merchandise, and plenty more.
With the success of Unrivaled in attracting fans in Brooklyn, Miami, and Philadelphia over the past two years, the WNBA’s historic new CBA is a huge victory for women’s basketball fans. The game of basketball is in a great place and on track to reach higher heights in 2026 and beyond.