The league and its players have reached a landmark agreement in principle that would create the WNBA’s first million dollar players and reset the financial and operational map for the months leading into the season.
What Happens When the Landmark CBA Is Implemented?
Lawyers for both sides are finalizing a term sheet that must be approved by the players and the league’s Board of Governors before it becomes official. The players’ union will hold informational sessions to walk members through key terms and then hold a ratification vote that requires a majority. Once approved, the deal reshapes compensation and roster economics immediately: the salary cap will start at $7 million, up from $1. 5 million; average salaries are expected to fall near $600, 000 with a minimum above $300, 000; and supermax contracts will begin at $1. 4 million, up from $249, 244 under the prior agreement. The deal also sets an average revenue share near 20 percent and creates the first cohort of seven-figure players in league history.
What If the Compressed Calendar and Expansion Drafts Upend Rosters?
The agreement arrives with a compressed timeline that forces front offices and players to move quickly. Key calendar items that will proceed around the new deal include two expansion drafts for the Toronto and Portland franchises, a college draft scheduled for April 13 in New York, training camp opening on April 19, and the regular season beginning on May 8. With more than 80 percent of the league technically free agents this year, teams will have far less runway to court, extend or franchise-tag players; time typically available for free-agent negotiations is likely to be substantially shortened, and some teams will have only days to make critical restricted-free-agent decisions.
- Salary cap: $7 million (previously $1. 5 million)
- Average salary range: around $600, 000; minimum above $300, 000
- Supermax starting point: $1. 4 million (previously $249, 244)
- Free-agent churn: more than 80% of players eligible this year
- Key dates: college draft April 13; training camp April 19; season starts May 8
- Expansion: Toronto and Portland to participate in expansion drafts
The expansion draft rules — who teams can protect and the mechanics the new franchises will use — are still being worked out and are expected to take place around the Final Four. Teams which recently underwent an expansion draft when one new franchise joined will face a different, larger exercise with two incoming clubs this time, and many rosters could look significantly different when training camps open. There are also five new head coaches set to implement systems while integrating potentially large waves of incoming and outgoing players.
Who Wins, Who Loses, and What Comes Next?
Players stand to gain materially from higher salaries, a larger revenue share and new maximum contracts; the deal creates clear potential for elite players to reach seven figures. Teams and front offices will face a sharper decision window and will need to decode the new CBA in real time to plan signings, extensions and franchise tags. Expansion franchises will gain access to established talent through the drafts, while incumbent teams must balance protecting core players against roster flexibility under a much higher cap.
Off the court, league administrators still have logistical tasks to complete: finalizing expansion draft rules, putting out broadcast schedules, and announcing sponsorship agreements while the league also prepares anniversary programming. Given the number of moving parts — legal finalization, player informational sessions, ratification vote, Board approval, expansion drafts, and a compressed free agency period — the immediate weeks ahead amount to a sprint to the season. Readers should expect rapid roster movement, tighter negotiating windows and the first million dollar players emerging as the agreement is finalized and implemented under this landmark
