New WNBA terms could set the tone for change across women’s sports
Words: Mya P, Toronto
The WNBA’s Board of Governors unanimously approved terms for the 2026 collective bargaining agreement (CBA) on March 24 — one day after the league’s players did the same.
Running through 2032, the seven-year agreement presents a landmark labour deal for the WNBA and its players. The new CBA features a major increase in salaries and the first revenue-sharing model in women’s professional sport history.
Starting this season, team salary caps will be set at $7 million, a huge jump from the old salary cap of $1.5 million. The minimum base salary is now $270,000 US, up from $66,079 US in 2025, while the maximum salary went from $249,444 US to $1.4 million.
This maximum value represents the highest tier under the new agreement; known as a supermax deal, it is designed for elite, veteran players.
Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson is among those expected to sign a supermax deal for the 2026 season. Last year, the league’s only four-time MVP earned a base salary of $200,000 US.
Not only will the new CBA give players roughly 20 per cent of league and team revenue, it will oversee the first million-dollar contracts in the WNBA. Still, it’s only the most recent effort towards closing the pay gap between women’s and men’s sports.
Even with the WNBA’s updated salary cap, it’s nowhere near the NBA’s $154.647 million ceiling.
Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers, drafted first overall in 2025, was projected to earn $78,831 US in her rookie season. But Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg — who was the top pick in the NBA draft that same year — is slated to earn $13.8 million by the end of his first season.
“We’ve always believed that as this game grows, the players that power it must grow with it,” Nnemkadi Ogwumike, Seattle Storm forward and president of the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA), said in a written statement on March 18.
With the popularity of women’s basketball — and many other women’s sports — on the rise, the WNBA’s new terms come at an opportune time.
Many athletes in professional women’s leagues are forced to continue playing during the offseason, often in leagues overseas. This lack of rest increases the chances of burnout or injury.
In 2023, WNBPA (players association) vice-presidents, Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier and New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart, founded the Unrivaled Basketball League to combat some of these issues.
2025 was the league’s inaugural season. While it required players to compete during the offseason, it helped many to stay in North America until the WNBA started up again. With the new salary terms outlined in the CBA, players may soon be able to get the rest they deserve between seasons.
This is especially important as the league welcomes two expansion teams ahead of the 2026 season, the Toronto Tempo and the Portland Fire. If players are treated fairly from the moment they are drafted, they will likely be set up for safe and successful careers.
As the WNBA gears up for its 30th season on May 8, its CBA could help usher in a new era of women’s basketball, benefitting current and future athletes while setting a precedent for change across all women’s sports.
Mya P is a Toronto-based participant in Youth Media Forward: meet the Toronto participants here