WNBA Season Expected To Begin As Scheduled After League Reaches Verbal Agreement On New CBA
The WNBA season is on as scheduled.
The 2026 WNBA season is expected to tip off as planned after the league and its players' union reached a verbal agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) early Wednesday morning.
The verbal agreement comes after a lengthy back-and-forth battle, and just 51 days before the WNBA's 30th season is scheduled to begin on May 8. Training camps are set to open on April 19, with preseason games around the league beginning just six days later.
"I just want to say we have aligned on key elements of a new collective bargaining agreement together. We still need to finalize a formal term sheet, but the progress made in these discussions marks a transformative step forward for players and the league," WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said. "It underscores a shared commitment to the continued growth of the game. So, we’ll share additional details as they become available."
The agreement is set to reflect the league's rapid growth and popularity as a whole since Caitlin Clark and other big-name players joined the league in 2024. The salary system is expected to be tied to revenue growth, with players expected to earn $1 million salaries for the first time in the league's history.
The Caitlin Clark effect can be seen in the new CBA. (Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images)
Nneka Ogwumike, president of the players' association executive committee, noted that the salary cap will see an "exponential" growth while the average compensation is set to surpass $500,000.
What we just accomplished is going to change the lives of so many players," WNBPA vice president Alysha Clark stated. "And speaking from experience, players like me are going to be the ones that I think feel it the most, and that's what I think we're all super proud of, because that's what we set out from the beginning, was making sure every player felt the change in the CBA, and that's exactly what has happened."
The verbal agreement comes 17 months after players opted out of the previous CBA in October 2024. This new CBA will be the sixth in WNBA history, and the first restructure since 2020.
Now, much of the league's attention will turn towards expansion drafts with the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo joining the WNBA this upcoming season.