WNBA: CBA Negotiations and the Future of the Players

The 2025 WNBA All-Star Game: A Collective Cry for Equal Pay

The 2025 WNBA All-Star Game, held in Indianapolis, will not be remembered for on-court performances, but for a powerful demonstration of unity. During warm-ups, each of the All-Stars wore black t-shirts with the slogan “Pay Us What You Owe Us.” This slogan referred to the collective bargaining negotiations between the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) and the WNBA, where the players felt that significant progress had not been made. The decision to use these t-shirts was unanimous, involving the 22 All-Stars present. This show of solidarity, a fundamental principle among WNBA players, manifested itself in a context of labor negotiations with diverse realities.

Diversity of Interests and the Future of the Collective Bargaining Agreement

Some players are millionaires thanks to their sponsorship deals off the court, while others depend primarily on their salaries in the WNBA, which in 2025 ranged from $66,079 (the minimum) to $249,244 (the supermax), or from other leagues. Some are on rookie contracts, others are nearing retirement. There are mothers, international players, and future WNBA prospects waiting for their opportunity. Furthermore, in a more recent development, some players have involvement in, or have even co-founded, other professional leagues. Given the WNBPA and WNBA’s pursuit of a “transformative” collective bargaining agreement, what’s at stake for these diverse interests and how might these differences manifest in negotiations? With the deadline for the new collective bargaining agreement set for November 30, we analyze the multiple perspectives of the players and the WNBPA, and how they might be affected when the new agreement is ratified.

Negotiator: Terri Jackson, Executive Director of the WNBPAJackson, who took over as CEO in 2016, is involved in her second collective bargaining negotiations. Previously, she led the securing of the 2020 agreement, which represented significant advances for the players, including significant salary increases, changes that boosted a more robust free agency, and improvements for mothers and those on parental leave. The relationship between Jackson and WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert, who took office in July 2019, seemed solid during the 2020 agreement. However, since then, the relationship appears to have cooled, as Jackson criticized Engelbert’s comments in 2024 about the online virulence of the fans. This year, the union has shown a more energetic criticism towards the WNBA/NBA in relation to labor negotiations, seeking to influence public opinion through actions such as the use of the “Pay Us What You Owe Us” jerseys in the All-Star Game. With so much at stake in an evolving financial landscape for the league, this could be a collective bargaining agreement that defines Jackson’s legacy. Therefore, it is crucial that she keeps the players united, including the task of assuring union members that their interests, as well as those of the WNBA stars, are being protected.

Stars with Off-Court Earnings

Key examples: Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever; A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces; Sabrina Ionescu, New York Liberty; Angel Reese, Chicago Sky; Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings

Caitlin Clark, for example, has high-profile sponsorship deals with companies like Nike, State Farm, and Gatorade, which provide her with much more income than her salary in the WNBA. She is part of a group of players, both veterans and those with rookie contracts, who could weather a possible work stoppage without financial difficulties. That said, a key part of obtaining sponsorships is visibility, which the WNBA provides. Clark has two years remaining on the rookie contract she signed as the first pick in 2024. Once she becomes a free agent, she could financially afford to do what Wilson has done: accept a lower salary to ensure playing with a solid group of teammates that fit under the salary cap. However, we don’t know if the new collective bargaining agreement will result in fewer cases of players willing or feeling the need to do that.

Role Players

Key examples: Kiah Stokes, Las Vegas Aces; Natisha Hiedeman, Minnesota Lynx; Lindsay Allen, Connecticut SunEven within this category, there are diverse perspectives and experiences. Some, though not all, are earning good money abroad, in Unrivaled (where there will be 48 roster spots in 2026, up from 36 in the inaugural season) or with Athletes Unlimited (40 spots). Some, though not all, have quite considerable off-court income sources. However, those who have neither depend more than their peers on their jobs in the WNBA and the success of the league, and a work stoppage would likely affect them more. A salary increase of four or five times in the WNBA would have a significant impact on this group. More roster spots, through expansion or an increase in the size of the rosters, would also provide them with more opportunities to go to teams where they can earn more money or simply find the best fit.

Rookie Contract Players

Key examples: Kiki Iriafen, Washington Mystics; Aaliyah Edwards, Connecticut Sun; Maddy Siegrist, Dallas Wings Not all young WNBA players are as fortunate as Clark to supplement their income off the court. For them, the extent to which the league raises the minimum salary could be crucial. When the minimum rose 36% in 2020 at the start of the current collective bargaining agreement, rookie contracts were revised upwards so that no player earned less than the minimum. Given the likelihood of a much larger increase this time, league sources have speculated that the minimum salary could quadruple, recent draft picks could benefit despite being under contract. At the same time, with long careers ahead, young WNBA players will not want to secure a deal that limits their earning potential in the future. For future stars, this collective agreement will not only determine the upcoming seasons, but will also lay the groundwork for subsequent agreements.

Players on the Verge of Retirement

Key examples: DeWanna Bonner, Phoenix Mercury; Alysha Clark, Washington Mystics; Sami Whitcomb, Phoenix Mercury; Tina Charles, Connecticut Sun Bonner, who turned 38 in August, was the second-oldest active player in the WNBA last season. During the WNBA playoffs, she told reporters that she wasn’t sure if she would play again in 2026. Regardless of whether she does or not, a player her age likely has a strong interest in the WNBA starting a pension plan similar to what NBA players have. The WNBA currently has a 401(k); the NBA has that plus a pension plan, which began in the 1960s and is based on years of service and average salary. Current WNBA players want those who came before them, the league started in 1997, to also benefit from a pension plan.

Players in the “Bubble” of the Squad

Key examples: Kiana Williams, Phoenix Mercury; Haley Jones, Dallas Wings; Elizabeth Kitley, Golden State Valkyries

The expansion is already a blessing for former college stars like Kiana Williams, the Most Outstanding Player of the 2021 Final Four, who along with Jones led Stanford to the NCAA title, who have struggled to establish their professional careers. There will be at least 24 new roster spots in 2026 with the entry into the league of Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo. The expansion of the roster could create even more opportunities. WNBPA President Nneka Ogwumike told ESPN in May that she considers increasing rosters to 13 or adding an injured list to be “incredibly reasonable” options.

Larger rosters are not only financially better for marginal players, but they would also give them a real opportunity to develop within the context of a specific team’s system. That’s better than the current hardship contracts that force players like Williams to fly across the country at the last minute to join new teams and play immediately.

International Players

Key examples: Gabby Williams, Seattle Storm; Emma Meesseman, New York Liberty; Satou Sabally, Phoenix Mercury Prioritization is a priority for Gabby Williams and other international stars. The rule requiring players to report at the start of training camp nearly ruled out Williams for the 2023 season, she was only eligible due to a concussion suffered during the French finals, and prevented her from joining the WNBA until after the Paris 2024 Olympics. When Williams finally enjoyed a full season in the WNBA in 2025, she was chosen as an All-Star for the first time. Now that she plays for Turkish Fenerbahce, showing up on time shouldn’t be a problem, but if the league pushes for exclusivity, that could create more difficult decisions for international players. The league could also seek to prevent players from joining national teams for competitions outside the Olympic Games and the FIBA World Cup, a problem for continental championships that do not include USA Basketball.

WNBA Executive Committee Members with Interests in Other Leagues

Key examples: Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx; Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty; Nneka Ogwumike, Seattle Storm Three of the seven players on the WNBPA’s executive committee have involvement in other leagues. Collier and Stewart, who are vice presidents of the committee, are co-founders of Unrivaled, the 3-on-3 league that played its inaugural season earlier this year and offers an average six-figure salary to the top WNBA talents. Ogwumike, the WNBPA president, has just signed a contract with Project B, a 5-on-5 league that is supposed to start next winter and will have a format similar to Formula 1 in which teams will tour Europe and Asia. The three players insist that their respective leagues do not compete with the WNBA and that there is no conflict of interest regarding their ability to negotiate the new collective bargaining agreement. They say they need the WNBA to succeed as much as anyone else. However, if Unrivaled continues to be successful and if Project B can take off, this trio will not need the WNBA as much as the players who are not invited to play in these leagues, which are targeting the best WNBA players. There is also the question of what would happen if prioritization becomes a point of conflict in the negotiations. Would they be willing to walk away from leagues that offer them such high incomes?

Players with Children

Key examples: Dearica Hamby, Los Angeles Sparks; Skylar Diggins, Seattle Storm The current collective bargaining agreement saw some of the biggest advancements for parents and pregnant players in the league. It ensured that new parents received their full salary during parental leave, whereas they were previously only guaranteed half, and also gave them a childcare stipend, workplace accommodations for breastfeeding, and at least a two-bedroom apartment for players with children. The family planning benefits are currently only available to players with eight or more years in the WNBA. It is important for players to extend these protections and benefits.

Star Players with Lower Off-Court Earnings

Key examples: Kelsey Mitchell, Indiana Fever; Alyssa Thomas, Phoenix Mercury; Brionna Jones, Atlanta Dream; Natasha Howard, Indiana Fever

Mitchell was the highest-paid WNBA player last year ($249,244 in annual income), but unlike other players who are near the maximum salary, such as A’ja Wilson, Mitchell does not have the off-court branding and sponsorship deals to give her large supplementary income. Because of this, she does not have the same financial flexibility as others who earn more off the court to accept a lower salary and allow more players to join her team. Mitchell and Thomas received the core designation, which allows players to sign a one-year qualifying offer with the highest possible WNBA salary, but prevents them from signing with another team as free agents. During the latest collective bargaining negotiations, the maximum number of times a player can be designated dropped from three years to two. Now there is a possibility that it will drop again. If that is the case, Mitchell and Thomas would not be eligible for that tag, which would likely give them more control over their future.

Future WNBA Players

Key examples: JuJu Watkins, USC Trojans, Flau’jae Johnson, LSU Tigers; Sarah Strong, UConn Huskies; Lauren Betts, UCLA BruinsCurrent college players are not technically represented at the negotiating table, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t closely watching how these negotiations unfold. Young players like Clark, Reese, and Bueckers helped catalyze this moment of tremendous growth for the WNBA, and there are a host of stars behind them who will help continue that momentum. What will the new collective bargaining agreement and playing in the WNBA look like for the next generation of stars? How much will rookies’ salaries increase with the new agreement? Another matter that must be determined is whether the eligibility rules for the draft will change. Currently, college players can declare early for the draft if they turn 22 in that calendar year, while international prospects must be at least 20 years old. If both sides relax those requirements, that would impact important talents like Watkins and Strong.