- The Women’s National Basketball Players’ Association (WNBPA) and the union’s board of governors have reached a fair agreement ahead of ratifying their new contract.
- The agreement will be a seven-year deal with an opt-out after Year 6, per ESPN.
- Players will reportedly have a minimum salary of $300,000 in their new contract.
The WNBA is winning big, on and off the court. The Women’s National Basketball Players’ Association (WNBPA) announced they have reached a fair agreement with the union’s board of governors after 17 months of negotiations, once they opted out of the previous Collective Bargaining Agreement in October 2024.
WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike shared the news with a statement posted to Instagram on Wednesday, March 18.
“This agreement is a direct result of our players' commitment to ownership — of their value and their future — and the strength of a player-led union. It is an honor to represent this group of women, and we will continue to push forward, raising the bar for all women across sports and beyond,” she wrote, in part, after claiming that the new deal “redefines what it means to be a professional in this league.”
According to ESPN, the agreement, which comes two months before the start of the 2026 season, will reportedly be a seven-year deal with an opt-out after Year 6.
Now, players will reportedly have a minimum salary of $300,000 in their new contract, which has yet to be ratified. The updated minimum is nearly quadruple their previous minimum of $66,079, and the 2026 salary cap will be $7 million—which is a major bump from the league’s cap of $1.5 million in 2025—and will reach $10 million by the end of the deal in 2033.
Some of the league’s athletes, from A’ja Wilson to Caitlin Clark, campaigned for higher salaries over several seasons, including at the AT&T WNBA All-Star Game in July 2025, when they rocked “Pay Us What You Owe Us” T-shirts on the court.
Players also got a new revenue-sharing model in the 7-year deal, which means they’re set to receive 20% of the league’s gross revenue, in addition to their increased salaries.
WNBPA vice president Breanna Stewart also told ESPN, “This deal is going to be transformational. It’s going to build and help create a system where everybody is getting exactly what they deserve and more, from on the court and off the court aspects. Just excited that we can tell our fans that we’re going to be back.”
“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,” Ogwumike added.
That being said, it’s a good day to watch and support women’s sports!
