Particle.news
Download on the App Store
17 ARTICLES
·
6m ago

WNBA, Union Sign Tentative Seven-Year CBA With Revenue Sharing and Major Pay, Travel and Roster Reforms

Player ratification is expected within days, setting up a rapid offseason before a planned May 8 season start.

Image
Flau'jae Johnson 4, #2 ranked LSU Tigers Women’s Basketball take on #15 Jacksonville Dolphins in the 2026 NCAA Div I Women’s Basketball Championship at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, LA. Friday, March 20, 2026.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - AUGUST 08: A'ja Wilson #22 of the Las Vegas Aces reacts after scoring a basket and drawing a foul against the Seattle Storm in the second quarter of their game at Michelob ULTRA Arena on August 08, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Image

Overview

  • Term sheet details the first comprehensive revenue-sharing model in women’s pro sports, projecting more than $1 billion to players over seven years and setting a $7.0 million team cap in 2026.
  • Top salaries rise to the first multi‑million‑dollar deals in league history, with a $1.4 million max in 2026 that could exceed $2.4 million by 2032, average pay at about $583,000 next season, and minimums ranging from $270,000 to $300,000.
  • The EPIC rule accelerates earnings for elite young players on rookie deals who earn All‑WNBA or MVP honors, with Aliyah Boston, Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers among those positioned to reach max or supermax earlier.
  • Quality‑of‑life provisions codify league‑wide charter air travel, expand housing support on a phased schedule, require 12 active roster spots plus two developmental slots, and increase the regular season to as many as 52 games by 2029.
  • Union education sessions have begun ahead of a membership vote, followed by Board of Governors approval, while teams brace for a compressed run of expansion drafts for Toronto and Portland, free agency, the April draft and training camp.