Women National Basketball Players Asscoation logo (from the WNBAPA)
By Stephen Ruderman and Vince Cestone
The WNBA season begins in May 2026 and negotiations between the league and the players and both sides are far apart on salary, revenue sharing and the deadline to get a contract together was this past Fri Jan 9th. Sources told the AP.
The league has offered a league minimum salary of $1 million for 2026 that could go up to $1.3 million. That would be increase from $249,000. The league offered to grow the minimum salary to $2 million for the duration of the contract.
The league is offering the players 70% of the net revenue the players would profit after expenses were paid. The expenses listed were upgraded facilities, charter flights, five star hotels, medical services, security and arenas.
The average salary for the players would be $530,000 a raise from $120,000 and it would increase to $770,000. The league’s minimum salary would rise to $250,000. Star players in the league like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and Paige Bueckers would receive double the money their making now on their rookie contracts.
The sticking point of the negotiations is the leauge wants the players to start paying their own housing with the minimum salary going up to $250,000. The players union said the individual teams should continue to pay for the players housing.
The union also stated since that expansion fees that Cleveland, Detroit and Philadephia paid by 2030 should be revenue that the league should include in revenue projection pay. If the contract continues to be delayed it could delay the beginning of the season which is scheduled to start in May.
Free agency was supposed to start in late January if both sides had agreed to a contract by last Friday however both sides did not agree to a contract which could further push negotiations back possibly two months to get free agency started.
Sports Radio Service 