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March 20 (Reuters) – The Women’s National Basketball Association Union announced on Friday it has reached a tentative agreement on a collective bargaining deal that will introduce the first revenue-sharing model in women’s professional sports history.
The seven-year agreement, which runs from 2026 through 2032, comes following nearly 17 months of negotiations after the WNBPA opted out of the previous CBA in October 2024.
The deal is projected to deliver more than $1 billion in player salaries and benefits. The salary cap will jump from $1.5 million to $7 million. Maximum-contract players will earn $1.4 million in 2026, a figure expected to grow to more than $2.4 million by 2032.
“This Collective Bargaining Agreement represents a defining moment in the WNBA’s 30-year history and all of women’s professional sports,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a statement.
The deal codifies league-wide charter air travel, expands roster sizes to 12 players, adds two developmental spots, and includes a new rookie contract scale with the number one overall pick in 2026 projected to earn $500,000.
The regular season will also expand, with up to 50 games scheduled for 2027 and 2028, and up to 52 games from 2029 through 2032.
(Reporting by Angelica Medina in Mexico City, editing by Ed Osmond)
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