Inside the WNBA’s CBA Battle: What’s on the Table and Why Players Are Pushing Back

The WNBA is at a turning point. With its current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) set to expire in October 2025, negotiations are heating up between the league and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA). The stakes are higher than ever: ratings are up, new sponsorship money is flowing in, and expansion is on the horizon. But are players being compensated fairly for the league’s growth?

Here’s a breakdown of what the current CBA provides, and the key issues players are contesting as the future of the league is reshaped:

Salaries and Caps

• Max salary: around $241,984 (2024)

• Minimum salary: $64,154 for players with zero to two years of experience

• Teams operate under a hard salary cap (2024 cap: ~$1.46 million per team)

  
  

Revenue Sharing

• Players receive about 9.3% of league revenues, far below what athletes in other major leagues earn.

  
  

Player Benefits

• Paid maternity leave and childcare stipends

• Family-friendly policies such as accommodations for nursing mothers

• Recent addition of charter flights for all games

Season & Scheduling

• Longer seasons with more games and tighter schedules

• “Prioritization” rules require players to return from overseas contracts in time for training camp, limiting earning opportunities abroad

  
  

The 2020 CBA was set to expire in 2025. Players exercised their opt-out clause to demand a better deal in line with the league’s growth. As the league evolves, players argue that the current deal no longer matches reality.

They want a larger, scalable cut of league revenues, rather than the fixed percentage that currently locks them in. With media rights and sponsorships surging, they argue it’s time to tie compensation directly to league growth.

Additionally, both the floor and ceiling of salaries are under fire. Players want rookies and role players to earn more while also pushing for star players to make salaries that reflect their market value.

The hard cap is also seen as too restrictive. The union is pushing for either a soft cap system or new mechanisms that give teams more freedom to reward talent.

With expansion and longer seasons, players want improved scheduling (fewer back-to-backs, more rest days) and higher standards for training and practice facilities. Many players supplement their income by playing overseas. Current prioritization rules force them to choose between lucrative overseas contracts and their WNBA obligations. Players want this reconsidered.

Retirement security, pensions, and family-support benefits are also at the top of the list for veteran players who want to build sustainable futures beyond their playing days.

The league’s first proposal was described as “a slap in the face” by Phoenix Mercury forward Satou Sabally, signaling just how far apart the two sides are. While the WNBA has offered incremental raises and a fixed revenue share, players are holding out for a deal that reflects the league’s current trajectory—not its past.

With attendance records being shattered, new teams joining the league, and women’s sports commanding unprecedented media attention, the 2025 CBA could define the WNBA’s next decade. The outcome will determine not only how much players are paid, but also how women’s basketball is valued in the broader sports economy.