How the WNBA's stunning new CBA could impact the WNBL
The WNBA's unprecedented new collective bargaining agreement could rob the WNBL of some of its biggest names, but also empower it to become better than ever before.
Photo credit: FIBA
It’s 1998, and Rachel Sporn - arguably Australia’s best basketball player - is headed to Detroit for training camp with the newly formed Shock. If she wins a spot on the roster, she might sign a contract worth $15,000.
By 2011, Lauren Jackson has delivered Seattle two titles, won three league MVPs, and is indisputably the best player in franchise history. As a true titan of the global game, her salary is just a fraction over six figures.
Fast forward to 2026, and Izzy Borlase - the 20th overall pick in 2024 - could earn three times that just by signing her rookie deal.
The WNBA’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) - officially rubberstamped on Tuesday by the league’s players and board of governors - is an unprecedented triumph for women’s sport, and a major coup for women’s basketball. Let’s break down the basics: Each team’s salary cap has skyrocketed to $7m, up from just $1.5m. The supermax salary - reserved for the league’s biggest names - is up to $1.4m, from $249,244. Minimum salaries will now start at $270,000, a massive jump from a paltry $66,079 last season. And most incredibly, the average player salary will now hover around $600,000, a staggering rise from just $120,000. And keep in mind, this is all in USD.
Put simply, these are life changing numbers.
Izzy Borlase’s rookie deal will likely be worth more money than her brother’s AFL contract.
Jade Melbourne could eclipse her entire WNBA career earnings with her next contract alone.
Alanna Smith could potentially become a million dollar athlete when free agency opens. The Athletic recently ranked the league’s reigning DPOY as the 7th best forward on the open market, as teams prepare to open their chequebooks next month.
After years of feeling unappreciated and being unfairly compensated, WNBA players are understandably giddy at the thought of what this bold new future holds.
But make no mistake, they could have major ramifications on the WNBL.
