The WNBA’s New Proposal for Player Salaries
The WNBA is making some significant moves. Their latest collective bargaining agreement proposal, presented to the National Women’s Basketball Players Association, includes a potential base salary of up to $1 million by 2026. According to sources close to the negotiations, Max’s total compensation could exceed $1.2 million when incorporating revenue-sharing options.
As reported by ESPN, the average salary for players in the upcoming season might be more than $500,000, while the minimum salary could rise beyond $225,000. This is quite a leap from what many were expecting.
The salary cap is also set to increase drastically, going from approximately $1.5 million in 2025 to around $5 million in the first year of this new agreement. This kind of growth is noteworthy and suggests a real shift in how the league values its players.
This proposal reflects nearly a 15 percent increase from prior offers, which had pegged the maximum base salary between $800,000 and $850,000. Comparatively, earlier proposals had anticipated the minimum salary to be around $220,000, with the average hovering around $460,000.
Remarkably, just before the current CBA was set to expire, the league and the players’ union agreed to a 40-day extension. This gives both parties more time to iron out details for a new contract. They reached this agreement less than an hour before the deadline on Sunday night, with a new cutoff now set for January 9.
Each side has the right to terminate this extension by providing 48 hours’ notice, so it seems like there’s a bit of urgency in the air.
Player demands have focused on securing stronger revenue-sharing pathways and raising salaries. Also on their list of priorities are adjustments to the salary cap and enhancements to benefits, particularly for mothers and former players.
Players are advocating for better access to both league and team revenue streams. Meanwhile, the WNBA is suggesting a “radically different compensation structure” aimed at ensuring that player salaries grow alongside league and team revenues.
For context, the league minimum salary in 2025 was set at $66,079, while the supermax stood at $249,244. It’s still unclear how the players feel about these latest proposals, as the WNBPA has yet to respond for further comment.
