WNBA players have voted to ratify the new collective bargaining agreement with the league, Women’s National Basketball Players Association president Nneka Ogwumike announced on ESPN’s “First Take” on Monday.
The players’ union said in a release that more than 90% of players participated in the ratification vote with the results a unanimous yes.
The CBA will now go back to the WNBA Board of Governors for its approval.
“This moment is the result of years of work and a shared belief that as the league rises, so must the players,” the WNBPA said in a statement. “Too often, women have been told to be grateful for the opportunity. This union sees it differently. It is about knowing our worth and having the courage to demand more, not just for ourselves, but for those coming next.”
The WNBA and WNBPA announced Friday that they had agreed to a term sheet for the new CBA. Under the league’s new revenue-sharing model — a first in women’s sports — the salary cap for the 2026 season will be $7 million and will change annually based on league and team revenue growth; it is projected to exceed $10 million by the end of the deal.
Other key changes to the CBA are increases to the maximum and minimum salaries, an expanded regular season starting in 2027 and continued housing support to players.
In a news release Friday, the WNBA called the seven-year deal “one of the most transformational labor agreements ever reached in major professional sports.” The agreement paved the way for the 2026 regular season to begin on schedule May 8.
Information from ESPN’s Alexa Philippou was used in this report.
