WNBA, union officially sign new CBA term sheet

The WNBA and WNBPA have completed and signed a term sheet for a new collective bargaining agreement, allowing both sides to officially announce Friday they have reached a tentative deal.

The terms were verbally agreed upon by both parties early Wednesday morning after eight days and more than 100 hours of bargaining in Midtown Manhattan in New York. The deal is pending ratification from the WNBA Board of Governors and the WNBPA player body, which could take another few weeks.

In a news release, the league called the deal "one of the most transformational labor agreements ever reached in major professional sports."

At the centerpiece of the new deal is a revenue sharing model that the league calls "the first comprehensive revenue-sharing model in women's professional sports history." The league projects the new system will deliver more than $1 billion in player salaries and benefits over the course of the agreement.

The salary cap for the 2026 season will be $7 million and will change annually based on league and team revenue growth; it is projected to exceed $10 million by the end of the deal.

The maximum salary is set for $1.4 million in 2026 and is projected to grow to more than $2.4 million by 2032. The average salary is expected to be $583,000 in 2026 and set to exceed $1 million by 2032. Minimum salaries will range based on years of service from $270,000 to $300,000 in 2026 and are projected to range from $340,000 to $380,000 by 2032.

Under the new deal, existing rookie-scale contracts will be adjusted upward. Forthcoming rookie-scale contracts will also experience large salary jumps, with the 2026 No. 1 overall pick projected to earn $500,000.

The agreement will also require teams to roster 12 players, and they can also now have two additional spots for developmental players that will not count against the cap.

The 2026 season will remain at 44 games, and then the schedule will expand to up to 50 games in 2027 and 2028 and then up to 52 games from 2029 through 2032.

The new CBA also addressed the housing issue, which emerged as a flash point in negotiations after the league initially did not include it in its proposals. Teams have provided housing since the league's first CBA in 1999.

Under the new deal, housing will be provided for all players in 2026, 2027 and 2028, and for players making $500,000 or less in 2029 and 2030. New developmental players will be provided housing in every year.

Other highlights of the deal, according to the release, include:

• Codified leaguewide charter air travel

• Enhanced standards for team facilities requiring teams to provide enhanced training and treatment resources

• Expanded team staffing requirements, including access to additional physicians, athletic trainers, strength and conditioning coaches, physical and massage therapists and nutritionists

• Salary cap exceptions for injured or pregnant players

• Pregnant player trade consent

• Substantial increases in bonus compensation for all league and postseason awards; starting in 2027, bonuses will increase at the rate of growth in the salary cap

• Expanded first-class travel accommodations for players across league events

• Significant increases in team contributions to player 401(k) retirement accounts

• A one-time recognition payment for WNBA veterans and retired players based on years of service in the league, ranging from $30,000 to $100,000

• Enhanced life insurance benefits totaling more than $700,000 per player

• Expanded mental health coverage, including a specific mental health reimbursement benefit

• Expanded family planning benefits for players and their spouses/partners