After months of negotiation, the WNBA and the players association finally reached a tentative agreement on a new CBA early Wednesday morning. In the hours that followed this triumphant moment for WNBA stakeholders, more details have come out regarding the concessions made by the parties involved.
One sticking point during the negotiations was revenue sharing. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the players will receive an “average revenue share of nearly 20% across [the] deal.” This is up from the 9.3% revenue share that players received previously.
Charania also reported that, under the new CBA, average WNBA player salaries will be in the ballpark of $600,000 per year, which is nearly five times the $125,000 average in 2025. The minimum salary is expected to be above $300,000 (up from the previous minimum of $66,000).
With the salary cap now starting at $7 million (compared to the longstanding cap of $1.5 million), teams can now sign players to a supermax contract that starts at $1.4 million. For the first time ever in WNBA history, the league can have million-dollar players.
Though there are more steps to be followed before the CBA takes full effect (such as a formal vote by the players on the term sheet and another vote cast by the Board of Governors, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has assured fans that no delays are expected in terms of the timetable of events for the league’s 30th season.
“She Deserves to be Applauded”: Stephen A. Smith Praises WNBPA President Nneka Ogwumike After Reaching Verbal Agreement on New CBA
This latest development on the CBA saga has led ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith to heap praise on the WNBPA president, who played a crucial role in the negotiations.
On Wednesday’s “First Take,” Smith spoke to his ESPN colleague Chiney Ogwumike, the younger sister of WNBA president Nneka Ogwumike.
“She has set a standard. She deserves to be applauded for it…Your sister is to be commended for her leadership.”
Smith also said that Nneka Ogwumike will be remembered in history for what she has helped achieve in terms of WNBA players’ salaries and benefits.