WNBA drops major salary, revenue proposals in CBA push

The WNBA and the players’ union have extended CBA negotiations by 40 days, with a new deadline set for Jan. 9. After reports of a wide gap between both sides, the league unveiled its biggest proposal yet, offering sweeping increases to salaries and revenue sharing.

According to insider Khristina Williams, the WNBA’s offer includes: guaranteed $1M base salaries for max players starting in 2026, revenue-sharing that could push earnings above $1.2M, an average salary jump to $500K, and a minimum salary increase to $225K. Team salary caps would surge from $1.5M to $5M in the first year and then scale with league revenue, News.Az reports.

These concessions mark a major shift from earlier offers, which included max salaries closer to $800–850K. Just last season, max players earned around $250K and minimum-salary players about $66K.

The proposal comes as the WNBA experiences historic growth: massive expansion fees—$50M for the Golden State Valkyries and $250M for upcoming teams in Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia—and a new $2.2 billion media rights deal that will boost annual broadcast revenue from $60M to more than $200M.

Players argue that the league’s rapid rise justifies a larger share of the money. Whether the union accepts the WNBA’s proposal will determine if a new CBA can be finalized before the January deadline.

News.Az