WNBA players might soon see their salaries soar to unprecedented levels, with the league’s latest collective bargaining proposal offering maximum earnings exceeding $1.1 million — a move that could dramatically reshape professional women’s basketball economics.
The groundbreaking proposal, revealed Tuesday night by a person familiar with negotiations, would allow multiple players per team to reach the seven-figure threshold, with those maximums increasing annually. It’s a striking departure from current compensation structures in women’s professional sports.
Under the proposed deal, even minimum salaries would jump to more than $220,000, while average compensation would exceed $460,000 for the league’s 180-plus players. These figures would take effect immediately and continue rising throughout the agreement’s duration, according to sources close to the talks.
Pushing for Transformation
How did we get here? The path began when players exercised their right to opt out of the previous collective bargaining agreement, seeking fundamental changes to the league’s economic model.
“The players exercised their right to opt out of the current CBA last year with hopes of getting, among other things, increased revenue sharing, higher salaries, improved benefits and a softer salary cap,” the league stated in its communications about the negotiations.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has maintained an optimistic outlook throughout the process. “I’m still really optimistic that we’ll get something done that would be transformational,” Engelbert said in July, suggesting the next CBA could become a highlight by the 2026 All-Star Game.
The negotiations come amid surging popularity for women’s basketball, with college stars like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese drawing unprecedented attention to the sport and WNBA viewership numbers climbing steadily.
Democratic Process
Behind the scenes, the WNBA Players Association has emphasized a democratic approach to these high-stakes negotiations. The union regularly solicits input from all players, not just those on the negotiating committee.
“As a democratic organization, during bargaining, we will frequently solicit all players’ viewpoint. We also encourage players to call staff and members of the Negotiating Committee whenever they have questions and/or to make their opinion known,” the WNBPA explains on its website.
This collective voice matters significantly because the final agreement must be ratified by player vote — no small detail in negotiations that could reshape careers and set new standards for women in professional sports.
While the proposed $1.1 million maximum represents a landmark figure, it still falls considerably short of NBA salaries, where the average player earns approximately $9.5 million annually. That said, the potential WNBA deal represents progress that would have seemed unimaginable just a few years ago.
The coming weeks will determine whether this proposal becomes reality — and whether the revolution in women’s basketball compensation that players have long fought for finally arrives.
