WNBA reaches historic 24-fold pay cap hike in new CBA through 2032
The Women's National Basketball Association has concluded its labor dispute with players by signing an unprecedented seven-year Collective Bargaining Agreement that runs from the current season until March of next year. This landmark deal establishes a minimum salary significantly higher than previous maximums and quadruples existing pay ceilings, marking what Cathy Engelbert calls "a defining moment" for women's sports in America.
Key Points
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1The WNBA has reached an agreement with players for a new seven-year Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) running through 2032.
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2A key feature of this deal is that the minimum salary now exceeds what was previously set as the maximum cap in previous years, marking it higher than any prior year's top earnings limit at $675k for a player with more experience and less time remaining on their contract. The new CBA will run through 2031.
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3The agreement includes significant wealth creation mechanisms such as signing bonuses up to five times the salary cap, which could reach nearly half of what top players earn annually.
Developments
The WNBA has reached an initial seven-year Collective Bargaining Agreement through the 2032 season after a labor dispute between the league and its Players Association concluded positively on Friday pending ratification. The deal includes significant salary increases, raising this year's average player wage to $583,000 with over $1 billion in total salaries projected for both parties combined during the contract period.