WNBA players nearly unanimous yes on collective bargaining agreement: Union president
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The Indiana Fever's Caitlin Clark, one of the faces of the Women's National Basketball Association, talking on stage before the game between the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks.
PHOTO: AFP
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NEW YORK – The Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) labour dispute moved one step closer to a final resolution with players voting to ratify the new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the league, according to the players’ union president on ESPN’s First Take on March 23.
WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike said the results of the ratification vote were a near-unanimous yes, with 90 per cent of players taking part in the voting.
The CBA will now go back to the league for its approval.
The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), in partnership with the WNBPA, officially announced on March 20 that a seven-year CBA had been agreed upon. The agreement will run through the 2032 season.
The revenue-sharing deal will increase the average salary to US$583,000 (S$745,000) this season and the maximum salary to US$1.4 million, while providing over US$1 billion in salaries and benefits over the contract.
“This collective bargaining agreement represents a defining moment in the WNBA’s 30-year history and all of women’s professional sports,” WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said on March 20 in a press release.
“Since its inception, the WNBA has been shaped by extraordinary athletes who believed in the league’s future. The agreement is a testament to that belief and to the tremendous progress we have achieved together.”
The salary increases represent a significant jump for WNBA players. Team salary caps will be US$7 million this season – a huge leap from US$1.5 million in 2025 – and will be adjusted annually based on teams and league revenue growth.
The deal projects the maximum salary to reach US$2.4 million by 2032 and the average salary to surpass US$1 million by then.
The minimum salary this season will range from US$270,000 to US$300,000, depending on service time. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 draft will earn approximately US$500,000.
“We’ve always believed that as this league grows, the players who power it must grow with it, and we’re proud to see that belief shared,” said Ogwumike, the league MVP in 2016.
“We love this game enough to push for what it can become... This agreement reflects that shared commitment, with players owning their value and future alongside a league growing stronger because of it.”
The players have been without a collective bargaining agreement since they opted out of their existing agreement in October 2024, a year before its 2025 expiration.
Meanwhile, the length of the regular season will increase to 50 games in 2027 and 2028, and 52 from 2029 to 2032.
The WNBA Draft is slated for April 13, with training camps opening six days later. REUTERS
