As of 2024, the WNBA season has wrapped up, and the WNBPA, the players’ union, has decided to opt out of the last two years of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). The current agreement is set to end after the 2025 season, and negotiations between the union and the league are already in progress.
This agreement was established back in January 2020, a time before the boom in women’s sports really took off, before Caitlyn Clark made waves at Iowa, and even before the league scored an impressive 11-year media rights deal worth over $2.2 billion. So much has changed since then, for both players and the league itself, and there’s a collective hope that the next CBA will be a landmark one.
Interestingly, the 2024 season marked the WNBA’s highest viewership ever, drawing in more than 54 million viewers across various platforms. Attendance also hit a high note, with records set for game attendance—something not seen in over two decades.
The rise in league passes surged by 366% this year, with games being broadcast in 207 countries. That’s a lot of eyes on the action. Given these numbers, players find themselves in a strong position now. It’s not hard to showcase the growth in both popularity and revenue for the league over the past five years. Beyond just viewership and ticket sales, some players have managed to bask in salaries that, for a limited workload, have swollen significantly. For instance, Paige Bueckers is slated to receive more in one remarkable season than she would earn throughout her entire four-year rookie contract in the WNBA.
This trend indicates that many athletes stepping into the WNBA have already been earning substantial sums prior to their entry into the league, thanks to expanded opportunities in college sports.
Terry Carmichael Jackson, the executive director of the WNBPA, addressed the ESPNW Summit and later talked with reporters about ongoing negotiations. During these talks, she mentioned that the union is prepared to negotiate “as long as it takes.”
This could even involve strikes. It’s worth noting that Madeline Kenney was among a group of reporters who had a conversation with Carmichael Jackson, highlighting the seriousness of these negotiations.
Future CBA discussions will be a focal point in the upcoming WNBA seasons, with talks starting on May 17. If an agreement isn’t reached before the next season kicks off, work disruptions could be on the table.
Kenney reported that the WNBPA has already put multiple proposals on the table and is hopeful for meaningful agreements before the league’s All-Star break in July. The current CBA runs out on October 31, and ideally, new deals will be inked well ahead of that deadline.
WNBA Statement on CBA negotiations:
“We remain committed to working with the WNBPA in a new CBA that is fair to all stakeholders and will lay the foundation for growth and success for years to come.” – Madeline Kenney (@madkenney)
Key issues in these negotiations touch on enhanced pay, revamping the current salary cap system, providing more support for mothers and families, assistance with family planning, and increasing roster sizes. The previous CBA made significant strides in many of these areas, although players believe they’re worth even more now.
For instance, the Supermax salary for the upcoming 2025 season is set at $249,244, a figure that most players won’t see. The average salary within the league is anticipated to be around $147,745. Each team operates under a hard salary cap of $1,507,100, which is considerably lower than the NWSL’s recent $3.3 million cap, without accounting for revenue sharing from the league. Unlike the NBA, where teams have some wiggle room around the salary cap, the WNBA maintains stricter regulations that limit additional spending.
Another crucial negotiation point is about ensuring that players who are pregnant receive a full season’s pay while they’re absent, although that salary still counts toward the team’s cap even while they aren’t playing. This tight constraint complicates how teams negotiate pay and roster slots.
Expanding the roster size is also significant in ongoing negotiations. Most teams are expected to start the season with 11 players, which helps them stay within the salary cap. In 2025, there will be a total of 156 roster spots, but on the first day, only about 144 players might be on the field. This limitation hinders young talent development since some draft picks and emerging players may not have a chance to secure lasting positions in the league.
Since the CBA was established in 2020, some advancements have been made. For example, teams are increasingly investing in players’ training facilities and recovery options, driven by concerns regarding player well-being. Issues surrounding chartered flights have also become prominent; redesigning travel protocols is vital for ensuring player safety. The goal is to make these travel policies a permanent fixture in the contract.
As Carmichael Jackson pointed out recently in New York, players are determined to push for better conditions. They understand that they hold significant leverage at this moment, and they intend to use it to secure their worth.
