WNBA Proposes Same Salary Cap in New CBA Offer

The WNBA sent a counterproposal to the players’ union on Friday night, a source confirmed to Front Office Sports. The WNBPA had proposed collective bargaining agreement terms three days earlier.

The speed of the league’s response is notable, but there was no movement on the league’s proposed salary cap or revenue sharing. The WNBA is still proposing a salary cap of $5.65 million and based on the league’s revenue projections, players would still not receive more than 15% of total revenue during the agreement.

The league did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

On Feb. 17, the WNBPA submitted a proposal seeking a salary cap below $9.5 million and a 25% share of the league’s total revenue in year one of the deal. That revenue share would average out to 27.5% over the life of their proposed CBA. The WNBA issued a statement late Tuesday calling the union’s proposal “unrealistic” and alleging it would result in “hundreds of millions of dollars” in losses for the league. 

The WNBA did make concessions in areas outside of the salary structure, according to this source. 

The league is proposing housing for all players in 2026. In 2027, the league’s previous housing proposal—which included one-bedroom apartments for players on the league’s proposed minimum salary and rookies, and studios for developmental players—would take effect. The one-bedroom offering would be phased out after the 2028 season, but the studio apartments would be provided throughout the life of the deal. 

The WNBA’s ownership structure is muddled, with 42% of the league controlled by the 30 NBA owners, 42% controlled by WNBA owners, and the remaining 16% belonging to an outside group of investors as a result of a $75 million capital raise in 2022. According to multiple sources, the league is exploring buying back that stake; however, without a call provision it would come with a steep price tag. 

The WNBA has repeatedly declined to answer questions about how revenue is distributed among the ownership buckets, including its impending $2.2 billion media rights deal, which takes effect in 2026 and extends through the 2036 season. 

The new offer from the league also includes slight improvements to the league’s proposed 401(k) plan. The recognition payment for players with eight or more years of service increased from $3,000 per year of service to $4,500. 

The league has not engaged with player proposals on the season start date or number of games, in addition to proposal items on the core designation, length of rookie scale contracts, reserved players, salary protection limits, mental health reimbursements, or exceptions to the prioritization rule. 

Negotiations for a new CBA began last fall, but largely lagged until the new year. 

The WNBA and WNBPA met in person on Feb. 2 following a six-week period in which the league failed to respond to a proposal submitted by the union in late December. During this meeting—which included the WNBPA’s executive committee as well as league officials and owners over Zoom and in person—members of the league’s labor relations committee told players that they had not read the union’s proposals, according to a source. 

The 30th WNBA season is currently scheduled to tip off on May 8. On Tuesday, the league emphasized that both sides are “running out of time” to reach an agreement without a delay to the season considering they still need to conduct an expansion draft, free agency, and a collegiate draft.