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Alexa Philippou
Multiple Authors
The latest collective bargaining agreement proposal from the WNBA, presented on Friday, included some adjustments regarding housing and facility standards, but there was no significant advancement on the proposed revenue sharing system, sources informed ESPN on Saturday.
Under the housing concessions, players on the applicable minimum salary and those with no years of service would be granted a one-bedroom apartment for the initial three years of the new agreement, according to sources. Developmental players would receive studio apartments.
It remains uncertain how players have responded to the new CBA proposal, which was introduced on Friday, more than six weeks after the players’ association last made an offer around Christmas.
Previously, the league did not include any housing provisions in its proposals. Since the initial CBA was ratified in 1999, WNBA teams have been obligated to provide housing for players. Under the previous agreement, teams could offer housing in the form of a one-bedroom apartment or a stipend.
The primary area of contention between the two parties has centered around the mechanics of revenue sharing in a new deal.
The league proposed that players receive an average of over 70% of net revenue, defined as revenue after deducting expenses. The latest proposal includes a $5.65 million salary cap in 2026 (an increase from roughly $1.5 million in 2025) that would rise in subsequent years alongside revenue growth.
In the past proposal, maximum salaries, including revenue share payouts, would reach $1.3 million in 2026 and were anticipated to approach $2 million in 2031. The supermax in 2025 was set at $249,000. The average player salary, inclusive of revenue sharing, was projected to hit $540,000 in 2026 and $780,000 by 2031, up from $120,000 in 2025.
Conversely, the players have suggested a $10.5 million salary cap and aimed to secure 30% of gross revenue—defined as revenue before expenses—stating that the league’s offer accounts for less than 15% of gross revenue.
Multiple sources reported to ESPN that the league estimates the union’s plan could lead to $700 million in losses throughout the duration of the agreement, potentially threatening the league’s financial stability. yet, the union believes its revenue sharing model would still position the league profitably, describing the league’s projected loss figure as “absolutely false,” and citing discrepancies in the accounting of expansion fees.
On Monday, the league and players’ union convened for a crucial bargaining session that also included players and owners. Presentation slides from the meeting, obtained by ESPN, indicated that the league is also proposing an increased number of allowable guaranteed contracts per team and two additional developmental player roster slots.
The slides further reveal that the league’s earlier proposal includes consent for trades involving pregnant players, the elimination of marijuana testing, enhanced team contributions to players’ 401(k) retirement plans, new team staffing requirements, and a recognition payment for current retirees.
A source indicated that, during Monday’s meeting, players stressed the significance of housing and facility standards, noting that the league’s new proposal also encompasses some of these standards, although the specifics remain unclear.
WNBPA leadership will convene in the coming days to examine the league’s proposal, another source informed ESPN. The WNBPA player body authorized the executive committee to initiate a strike in December, which the players have mentioned as a potential option.
The league’s 2026 season is slated to commence on May 8, but a new CBA must first be reached, along with a two-team expansion draft and free agency for nearly all of the league’s veterans.
ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne contributed to this report.
