WNBA, players strike late-night deal for new CBA

The WNBA and its players national reached a woody successful rule connected a caller corporate bargaining statement (CBA), keeping the league connected way to extremity disconnected connected May 8.

Lawyers connected some sides volition proceed to hammer location the specifics of the caller CBA. A word expanse is expected to beryllium done successful the adjacent time oregon 2 and past it volition caput to the players national to beryllium ratified and aboriginal approved by the league’s Board of Governors.

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Indiana Fever defender Caitlin Clark (22) drives the shot against Connecticut Sun defender Leila Lacan (47) successful the 2nd 4th astatine TD Garden connected July 15, 2025. (David Butler II/Imagn Images)

"I conscionable privation to accidental we person aligned connected cardinal elements of a caller corporate bargaining statement together. We inactive request to finalize a ceremonial word sheet, but the advancement made successful these discussions marks a transformative measurement guardant for players and the league," WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said. "It underscores a shared committedness to the continued maturation of the game. So, we’ll stock further details arsenic they go available."

The woody is expected to bespeak the accelerated maturation implicit the past 2 seasons. The league exploded successful popularity with the emergence of Caitlin Clark successful 2024, on with immoderate of the different members of her rookie class.

Players’ salaries are besides expected to summation fourfold from past season.

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert talks during a presser earlier the commencement of crippled 1 of the 2025 WNBA Finals betwixt the Phoenix Mercury and the Las Vegas Aces astatine Michelob Ultra Arena connected Oct. 3, 2025. (Stephen R. Sylvanie/Imagn Images)

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"For the archetypal time, subordinate salaries are tied to a genuinely meaningful stock of league revenue, driving exponential maturation successful the wage cap, expanding mean compensation beyond fractional a cardinal dollars and raising the modular crossed facilities, staffing and support," national president Nneka Ogwumike said.

The 2 sides pushed hard this week to get a woody done, sometimes negotiating into the wee hours of the morning. They came to an statement astatine astir 2:20 a.m. ET connected Wednesday.

"The woody is going to beryllium transformational," national vice president Breanna Stewart said. "It's going to physique and assistance make a strategy wherever everybody is getting precisely what they merit and much from connected the tribunal and disconnected the tribunal aspects."

Las Vegas Aces halfway A'ja Wilson (22) celebrates aft crippled 4 of the 2025 WNBA Finals astatine Mortgage Matchup Center connected Oct. 10, 2025.  (Joe Camporeale/Imagn Images)

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The league volition present statesman a accelerated interruption toward the season. The squad volition clasp 2 enlargement drafts with the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire joining the league this season. Free bureau volition besides kickoff soon on with grooming camp, which is expected to instrumentality spot six days aft the draft.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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