WNBA Tentative CBA Sets $7M Cap, Could Exceed $10M by 2031

The WNBA and WNBPA reached a verbal agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement in the early morning hours on Wednesday, with less than two months to spare before the season tips off on May 8. 

While both sides are still formalizing a term sheet, multiple sources told Front Office Sports it is a seven-year deal with an opt-out after the sixth year. The salary cap will start at $7 million in Year 1, according to these same sources, with 20% of the cap designated for the supermax contract, which equates to roughly $1.4 million. The average, before revenue-share payments are factored in, will be about $584,000. The average revenue share is roughly 20% across the life of the deal, sources said. By 2031, the opt-out year of the deal, the salary cap could exceed $10 million, sources said, confirming an earlier report from ESPN. Another source said that, depending on revenue projections, the cap figure could even be as much as or more than $11 million.

Additionally, the core designation will see slight changes. Beginning in 2027, a player can only be cored who has six or fewer years of service, according to sources. 

The minimum salary is tiered based on years of service, multiple sources said. 

The rookie minimum in year 1 of the new CBA will be $270,000. Players with 1-3 years of service will earn at least $277,500. The minimum for a player with 4-6 years of service will be $285,000, and for 7-9 years of service, $292,500. The minimum for players with 10 or more years of service will make $300,000. All of these numbers will grow each year over the course of the seven-year term. 

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

Next Steps

The full terms of the deal are expected to be finalized in the coming days, which will be followed by an official voting process. The term sheet will be voted on by players and then the WNBA Board of Governors before it becomes fully ratified. Once both sides sign off, the term sheet is formally executed, becoming the new CBA governing the league. 

“The progress made in these discussions marks a transformative step forward for players and the league,” commissioner Cathy Engelbert said from the Langham Hotel shortly before 3 a.m. ET. “It’s underscoring a shared commitment to the continued growth of the game.” 

Engelbert said the 30th season is not subject to delays following Wednesday’s verbal agreement. Training camp is scheduled to open on April 19, but before it can, the league must conduct an expansion draft, free agency, and the collegiate draft. 

The league is expected to move forward with the timeline that was previously shared with WNBA general managers. Between April 1 and April 6, teams will go through the entire expansion draft process, including submitting protected player lists and the draft itself. Qualifying offers will go out April 7–8, followed by a negotiating period April 9–11. The signing period will be April 12–18. The collegiate draft will be held on April 13 in New York City. 

Marathon Talks Conclude

In total, both sides negotiated for more than 100 hours between March 10 and March 18 to come to terms. The official negotiating period was much longer, beginning in the months following the WNBPA’s decision to opt out of the last CBA in October 2024. 

This new deal, once ratified, guarantees labor peace for the league and players through the 2031 season. 

“What we just accomplished is going to change the lives of so many players,” Alysha Clark said from the Langham Hotel following the verbal agreement. “Speaking from experience, players like me are going to be the ones that feel it the most. That’s what I think we’re all super proud of because that’s what we set out from the beginning was making sure every player felt the change in this CBA.”