One way or the other, the fans will have a concrete conclusion regarding the 2026 WNBA season by March 10th. That is the date the WNBA has given to resolve the CBA matter in order to have a season with a regular timeline. While the two sides remain at odds, the hope is that they can figure it out to avoid breaking the momentum the WNBA has. Nevertheless, when the dust settles, the entire WNBA community needs to be ready for a new reality, especially regarding the roster dynamics. 

According to Front Office Sports, “the players have proposed a salary cap of just under $9.5 million.” On the other hand, the league is standing its ground on $5.65 million as its ideal number. In the latest proposal, the players are compromising on the revenue sharing, asking for 27.5% of the gross revenue (revenue before expenses) over the course of the CBA as opposed to an average of more than 30%. Yet, the league insists on 15% of the total revenue after calling the WNBPA’s earlier demand “unrealistic.” Getting into the details of the new financial system, Annie Costabile of FOS laid out a possible future. 

“The league’s proposal includes two tiers of max salaries, similar to the current CBA, according to one source familiar with negotiations. The supermax would account for 20% of the salary cap, and the standard max—roughly $988,750—would take up 17.5%. Unlike the current CBA, players would not be eligible to earn the supermax salary through a sign-and-trade deal,” Costabile wrote. 

This is a major reshuffle from the current system, as the supermax made up for around 16.5% of the salary cap. The average salary is set to jump from $125,000 to $475,000, a 3.8x increase. While the salary cap is rising from a $1.5 million salary to $5.65 million. However, the discrepancy between the top- and mid-level contracts is gaining the most attention.

Post-CBA Financial Framework Raises Eyebrows As Fans At Odds On Pay Gap

“It’s like trying to make $1M as a CEO in a company that only generates $200K in annual revenue. They obviously need to lower the max. Plus, are they not wanting to expand rosters too?” asked a fan. The two sides have agreed on 2 developmental spots and to force teams to carry 12 players all season long instead of the current 11. It is a first step to eventual expansion.  

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The million-dollar number in the salary column is of course more attractive than anything below that. It disadvantages the players below the ladder, at first glance. However, in reality it will not be as black and white. Even in the NBA, the supermax can be 35% of the total salary cap, which is much higher than the 20% number in the WNBA. Yes, NBA dynamics are different, but it’s still a good reference point. This new system will pose one question to the players. 

In the example Costabile mentioned, if the Fever pays Kelsey Mitchell the $1.13 million supermax, they will need to compromise on the rest of the roster. Because Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston combine for $1.08 million in rookie deals ($504,000/player). That gives them just $382,000 per player to fill the other 9 spots. A balanced team will be difficult to make. So, Mitchell will need to compromise her salary. Each team will have similar such problems. Yet, some see this as a positive.

“No more super teams in this system. It is good for the WNBA to separate franchise players. No one will trade first-round picks either,” pointed out a fan. The 2025 WNBA champions, the Las Vegas Aces, had almost their entire starting 5 that would deserve a max or a supermax contract. Chelsea Gray, Jewell Loyd, and A’ja Wilson certainly stay in that tier. Even NaLyssa Smith’s rookie contract has now run out. 

Wilson compromised for the Aces, earning $200,000 instead of $250,000 because the differential is not much. In the new system, that difference becomes a lot more significant ($226,000 less per year). Nevertheless, some still think that players could compromise because of other earning avenues available to them. 

“Michael Jordan’s NBA salary wasn’t in the top 10 for most of his career because he knew he would make more in endorsements if his team won championships. Players who want to win will take less to build a great team around them,” wrote a fan. This is a completely plausible scenario. The top players in the WNBA in that tier have built a robust brand portfolio. 

They have million-dollar endorsements from brands like Nike, Gatorade and a lot of others. Up until now, they earned largely from endorsements themselves. And those earnings will only go up if they keep winning, likely dwarfing the league paycheck because there is no upper limit. It could make sense to prioritize team composition and winning, even for their personal financial gain. 

“The way I read this, the CBA is… great for the WNBA’s elite, great for the WNBA’s youth, and awful for basically everyone in the middle lol,” commented another fan. “On the bright side, long term, it makes it so teams can only have 2 great veteran players & there isn’t a duo that I’m taking over ABCC long term.” Like we discussed, in reality things could balance out as compared to what we see on paper.

It is mentioned that the salaries and the salary cap will increase over the period of this contract. So, the dynamics could slightly change every year. There is a possibility things balance out over time. However, whether this system creates smarter roster-building or simply squeezes the middle class remains the biggest question fans will watch unfold.