The WNBA's latest collective bargaining agreement proposal would include revenue sharing, with a salary cap of more than $1.1 million available to more than one player on a team, growing each year, according to a person familiar with the negotiations Tuesday night.
WNBA officials briefed the board on the latest proposal at meetings this week, the person told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because ongoing negotiations are confidential. The minimum amount in the new league will be more than $220,000, and the average will be more than $460,000.
These numbers will begin in the first year of the agreement for over 180 players and will increase as the CBA continues.
People familiar with the WNBA's latest proposal described the AP plan as a highly lucrative package, providing a significant boost over previous years and designed to bring negotiations to a quick conclusion.
The current CBA was set to expire on Oct. 31, when the WNBA and the players union agreed to continue negotiations until Nov. 30, allowing more time to negotiate a deal that would be a game-changer for players in terms of salaries.
Players exercised their right to opt out of the current CBA last year in hopes of receiving, among other things, increased revenue sharing, higher salaries, improved benefits and a softer salary cap. When the last CBA expired in 2019, both sides agreed to a 60-day extension and the agreement was eventually ratified in January 2020.
WNBA Commissioner Katie Engelbert hoped that going into the 2025 All-Star Game, everyone would be talking about how good the next CBA would be at the 2026 All-Star Game.
“I’m still very optimistic that we’ll do something that will be transformative,” Engelbert said in July.
