March 18, 2026, will go down as one of the most monumental days in women’s sports history. The WNBA and the WNBPA finally came to terms on a new collective bargaining agreement that will allow for this season to go forward. This deal is a result of 17 months of negotiations, with the bulk of conversations happening during this WNBA off-season. Nneka Ogwumike is the president of the WNBPA union. She spearheaded the efforts to push this deal through. Now, there’s a reality that WNBA max players will be signing million-dollar contracts for the first time in the league’s history.
The genesis of a journey to victory
So many factors are involved when a perfect storm like this is able to come together. Many of these factors we’ve highlighted here in one capacity or another. But before we get to those, we must first look at the past. The WNBA simply doesn’t make it to this point without the greatness of its past stars and contributors. Going into what will be the WNBA’s 30th season, every woman who has given to the game should be lauded for their contributions. It’s their effort, desire and care that allowed for a league to be here for the Candace Parkers and A’Ja Wilsons of the world.
Maintaining a league with that wealth of passion and ability sustained the WNBA long enough to reach an era where college basketball will be churning out generational talent for years to come. From Angel Reese to Cameron Brink and Caitlin Clark, the young stars of the league are ready to make their mark. With Juju Watkins and Audi Crooks on their way in a couple of years, they’ll benefit from the ground laid by all of these women and more.
The WNBA couldn’t afford for ‘Unrivaled’ to be unrivaled
Another reason why WNBA players will see the raises that they will in the coming seasons is undoubtedly because of Unrivaled. And the amount of buzz they’ve created for WNBA off-season basketball. With insurances that covers their participants’ WNBA salaries and a really neat three-on-three format, Unrivaled is pushing the envelope in the women’s and men’s games.
For instance, they even put on their own one-on-one tournament during NBA All- Star Weekend. That’s something the fellas haven’t gotten together to do in decades. They cultivated a product that further showcases the great value that exists in the talent of WNBA players. This was done without any assistance from the WNBA. So, you cannot have an outside entity treat your players better than you are. That had to do a lot with how the needle moved in WNBA players’ favor.
It all comes down to the numbers
Given all of the momentum that has been amassed over the last few years in the WNBA, it was simply time. The games and their personalities are gaining more eyeballs than ever. These players should feel the value of what they bring to the table in their pockets. Of course, that’s all relative, as the league still needs to have a pathway to continue to profit.
With a $7 million salary cap that’s up from a previous $1.5 million cap, that says it all. A max contracted player can now earn a $1.4 million super max salary. One of the biggest ribbons on this deal is that the players have a near 20% revenue share with the league as well.
In every facet, the WNBPA forced the league’s owners’ hands. They brokered themselves an amazing agreement. It’s one that has so much potential to continue to be built upon. And it sets such an amazing example for women in the future who may be in similar positions. This was the perfect punctuation to let the world know that everyone watches women’s sports.
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