WNBA secures landmark CBA as offseason roars into a sprint
TL;DR
The WNBA and the players’ union have ratified a historic CBA with higher salaries (average around $600k; $1.4m supermax) and 20% revenue share, a watershed moment for women’s sports. The offseason will be a sprint: ratification, an April 6 expansion draft for Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo, then rapid free agency, the April 13 college draft, training camp April 19, preseason April 25, and the regular season starting May 8, 2026, with teams juggling roster turnover under new cap rules and players encouraged to sign shorter deals to hit free agency in 2026.
- What’s next for the WNBA after reaching a historic CBA deal? The New York Times
- Sources: WNBA salary cap set to top $10M by end of new CBA ESPN
- The WNBA’s new labor deal explained: what it means for pay, power and the league’s future The Guardian
- WNBA and players' union reach verbal agreement on landmark new CBA deal CNBC
- It’s finally go-time for Portland Fire amid the most chaotic launch in sports history | Bill Oram OregonLive.com
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