WNBA and Players Association Reach Landmark Deal

For much of the offseason, the 2026 WNBA season and the momentum that women’s basketball had obtained in the last few years perilously hung in the balance.

Business catapulted to the forefront of the discussion between the WNBA and WNBA Players Association (WNBAPA), and the two sides were able to come to an agreement on terms that will govern the league for many seasons to come.

The deal will take effect starting with the 2026 campaign and run through the 2032 season.

Perhaps the most noteworthy change in the new CBA involves player salary compensation. The salary cap for the 2026 season will be $7 million and has the ability to adjust over the life of the deal based on league and team revenue increases.

“I think this can be summed up in two words: player empowerment,” said WNBPA executive director Terri Carmichael Jackson. “Players coming to the table and standing on business and being reminded of the collective voice and of what it means to be in a union and the power of this union.”

The WNBA and its players’ union signed a new CBA term sheet, setting the stage for significant salary increases and player benefits. https://t.co/7hdCapL6D6

— USA TODAY Sports (@usatodaysports) March 21, 2026

The shifting landscape in player salary means that the top players are set to receive exorbitant raises in the near future. Under the new deal, maximum salary contracts are worth as much as $1.4 million and are expected to hit $2.4 million by the end of the CBA.

It’s been reported that the Las Vegas Aces already plan to offer that maximum salary to superstar A’ja Wilson once the ink is dry on the terms of the new agreement.

Fans can also prepare themselves for a notable adjustment to the WNBA schedule. While the regular season slate will remain at 44 games for the 2026 campaign, the deal calls for as many as 50 contests to be played in 2027 and 2028, and as many as 52 tilts from 2029 through 2032.

Additionally, one of the major sticking points of the negotiation for the last several months has been player housing. Teams were responsible for providing lodging since 1999, but that responsibility shifts to the league, effective immediately.

The WNBA is now required to provide housing for all players for the 2026, 2027 and 2028 seasons. In the 2029 and 2030 season, the league will only be required to provide housing for players earning less than $500,000.

Housing will be provided for all players in the first three years of the new CBA. In 2029, players making $500,000 or less will still qualify for team-provided housing.https://t.co/w7lDBJTJ28

— Annie Costabile (@AnnieCostabile) March 19, 2026

Developmental players will be provided housing every year.

There was also a lot of conversation about the circumstances surrounding pregnant players. The new CBA implements some new rules surrounding players with child, such as salary cap exceptions for teams pertaining to injured or pregnant players.

The agreement also includes trade consent for pregnant players, which allows the athlete the option of staying with their current team as opposed to potentially uprooting their lives during pregnancy.

Current South Carolina women’s basketball coach and former WNBA star Dawn Staley put the terms of the new CBA in context.

“People have fought,” Staley said. “When you enter into the league, you’re going to make 100 times, 75 times more than someone that was (in the league) 30 years ago, 10 years ago, 5 years ago.”