New WNBA CBA Proposal Reportedly Includes A $1.1 Million Max Salary

With the WNBA's collective bargaining agreement now expired, the league is sweetening the pot in hopes of getting a deal done before the new Nov. 30 deadline. 

According to The Associated Press, the WNBA's latest proposal includes a massive raise along with additional benefits. And by massive raise, we mean three to four times the previous salaries. But despite the eye-popping monetary figures, it's unclear whether the players' union is finally satisfied.

According to the report, the WNBA is offering a max salary of $1.1 million, a league minimum salary of more than $220,000 and league average salary of more than $460,000. These figures would apply in the first year of the deal and increase over the course of the CBA.

The WNBA and its players association have been feuding for months.

(Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

The offer comes on the heels of months of increasingly heated back-and-forth between the league and the WNBPA, who say they're fighting for fair compensation and a guaranteed percentage of league revenue. Last month, union executive director Terri Jackson and legal counsel Erin D. Drake said the two sides remained "far apart" and accused the WNBA of lowballing players under the guise of growth.

"You know they know it's bad when the best they say they can do is more of the same," Jackson said in a statement. "A fixed salary system and a separate revenue-sharing plan that only includes a piece of a piece of the pie, and pays themselves [the league] back first."

Meanwhile, the WNBA has grown dramatically over the past two years — adding new franchises, breaking viewership and sales records and inking a $2.2 billion media rights deal that kicks in next season. Players, including very vocal WNBPA vice president Napheesa Collier, are demanding a seat at the table.

Collier went scorched earth on WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert in a press conference earlier this fall. She later doubled down, saying the league is "taking advantage" of its stars. Collier specifically cited Caitlin Clark's meager $78,000 salary despite her role in generating "hundreds of millions" in new revenue and sponsorship.

"The amount of money that Caitlin Clark has made the league is insane, and she’s getting 0% of it," Collier told Glamour magazine.

Caitlin Clark has brought record-breaking viewership and sales to the WNBA.

(Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images)

So far, no agreement has been reached. And, until a new CBA is finalized, the entire WNBA offseason is on hold. Expansion drafts for the new Toronto and Portland franchises, free agency negotiations and 2026 planning all remain in limbo.

And while the WNBA's latest offer is a significant step forward, it's not yet clear whether it will be enough to get a deal across the finish line or if the players will continue to push for more.