WNBA players get housing, performance bonuses in new CBA

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WNBA players get housing, performance bonuses in new CBA

Meghan L. Hall, USA TODAY · USA TODAY Sports

Fri, Mar 20, 2026 ·

4 min read

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The WNBA and its player union signed a term sheet for its new CBA, the league announced Friday, creating a pathway for full ratification in the coming days.

After agreeing in principle to a new CBA on Wednesday , the league and the WNBPA needed to sign a new term sheet to move forward with the 2026 season. The CBA starts in 2026 and will be valid for seven years, running through 2032.

The league confirmed that there will be a $7 million salary cap and $1.4 max salary in Year 1. According to the WNBA, the cap will be adjusted annually based on league and team growth, and max salaries are expected to grow to more than $2.4 million by 2032. A new system is also increasing player compensation to a projected amount of more than $1 millions in salaries and benefits over the life of the agreement.

In 2026, the average salary in the WNBA is expected to be $583,000 and increase to $1 million over the life of the agreement. The range for minimum salaries will be based on years of service and will be from $270,000 to $300,000 in 2026 to $340,000 to $380,000 by 2032.

WNBA housing for next three years

Housing will be provided for all players starting in 2026 and through 2029. Any players making $500,000 or less will also receive housing in 20209 and 2030. Developmental players will receive housing every year.

WNBA bonus structure

League and postseason awards received increases in bonus money for 2026. For example, teams that win the WNBA championship would receive $60,000 per player (up from $22,908). If a player makes the first-team All-WNBA, they would receive 30,000 (up from $10,300). If the player makes second-team All-WNBA, they receive $15,000 (up from $5,150). If a player wins MVP, they receive $60,000. For Defensive Player of the Year, they would stand to make $30,000 (up from $5,150), and any player who wins Rookie of the Year would receive $15,000 (up from $5,150).

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Ranking the top 10 women athletes of 2025

1. A'ja Wilson, Las Vegas AcesLas Vegas Aces star A'ja Wilson had one of the best seasons in WNBA history and earned the top spot on our list. Wilson led the Aces to their third title in four years after sweeping nearly every major award in the calendar year. She earned her second WNBA scoring title, third Defensive Player of the Year award, an unprecedented fourth MVP and her second Finals MVP, becoming the first player in WNBA or NBA history to accomplish it all in a single season. Becky Hammon said it best: Wilson is "Everest. There is no one else around." Wilson isn't ready to be in the GOAT conversation just yet. "I still got a little bit more winning to do before you put me in that conversation. When you're compared to greats, when you're compared to legends, that means you're doing something right and I'm so grateful," she said after sweeping the Phoenix Mercury in the 2025 WNBA Finals.

(Joe Rondone, The Republic via USA TODAY NETWORK)

**2. Mikaela Shiffrin, Olympic alpine skier**Mikaela Shiffrin is in a league of her own. The two-time Olympic gold medalist owns the most World Cup wins of any alpine skier and is the only skier, male or female, to surpass the 100-victory milestone after reaching triple-digit World Cup victories in February. She's been on a tear ever since. Shiffrin has won five consecutive slalom races, including her win at the World Cup finals in Sun Valley, Idaho, in March and four wins to start the 2025-26 season. She's up to 105 World Cup wins, extending her own record, and is in great form ahead of the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, where she's a heavy favorite to medal.

(Christopher Creveling, Imagn Images)

**3. Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings**Bueckers' prolific resume at UConn included everything but a national championship. That changed in April, when Bueckers led the Huskies to the program's 12th title. The win kicked off a whirlwind year for Bueckers. She was drafted No. 1 overall by the Dallas Wings and was a bright spot in the franchise's otherwise dismal 10-34 season. She was named the 2025 WNBA Rookie of the Year and earned an All-WNBA second-team nod, the only rookie selected to an All-WNBA Team. Bueckers told USA TODAY Sports she recently had the opportunity to catch her breath and process her achievements and what's ahead: "On my birthday (on Oc. 20), I reflected on the year 23 itself and how much of a journey it was. I stayed the most present and it ended up being one of the most fun, joyful, just peaceful years of my life. Just embracing everything that kind of came my way."

(Jerome Miron, Jerome Miron-Imagn Images)

**4. Aryna Sabalenka, tennis**Sabalenka spent the entire year at the top of the WTA rankings. Although the year got off to a rough start with back-to-back losses to Madison Keys and Coco Gauff in the Australian Open final and French Open final, respectively, Sabalenka rebounded to win the U.S. Open and clinch the fourth major title of her career. She finished the year with the most finals appearances (nine), most titles (four), most match wins (63) and set a single-season prize money record by taking home $15,008,519. She was named the WTA Player of the Year for the second consecutive year, the seventh player in WTA history to repeat and third in the past 25 years.

(Robert Deutsch, Imagn Images)

**5. Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx**Collier joined Elena Delle Donne in the exclusive 50-40-90 club, finishing the regular season with a 53.1% field goal percentage, 40.3% 3-point percentage and 90.6% free throw percentage. She led the Minnesota Lynx to the league-best 34-10 record, but Collier's accolades stretched far beyond the court. She's a vocal leader in the players' push for higher compensation in ongoing CBA negotiations with the WNBA and used her exit interview to publicly criticize league commissioner Cathy Engelbert. Collier also co-founded Unrivaled, a 3-on-3 basketball league that's drawn praise for prioritizing player amenities and paying competitive salaries. Unrivaled has provided an alternate avenue to earn money outside of the WNBA, which will be paramount as players are prepared to strike if CBA negotiations with the league remain at a standstill.

(Christian Petersen, Getty Images)

**6. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, track**All Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone does is win. The four-time Olympic gold medalist won two gold medals at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo in September. McLaughlin-Levrone won gold in the 400m flat with a time of 47.78 seconds, which broke the 42-year-old North American record with the second-fastest time by a woman in the distance. With the win, McLaughlin-Levrone became the first athlete to win world titles in both the 400m flat and 400m hurdles, an event for which she owns the world record (50.37 seconds). The 26-year-old has been so dominant she hasn't lost in a 400m or 400m hurdles race in two years. "I knew there were a lot of people doubting me with making the switch from 400m hurdles to the flat 400m, but ultimately, I had faith in my training," McLaughlin-Levrone said after winning World Athletics WomenÕs World Athlete of the Year. "For me, 2025 was a year of stepping outside of the comfort zone and pushing the bounds of what was mentally and physically possible. I want to continue pushing boundaries in 2026."

(JEWEL SAMAD, AFP via Getty Images)

**7. Catarina Macario, USWNT**Catarina Macario has been on fire. Macario led the U.S. women's national soccer team with eight goals this season, including a brace in Team USA's 3-0 win over Italy in late November. Macario is the first U.S. player to score in three straight games since Mallory Swanson scored six in a row from November 2022 to February 2023. Macario now has 16 total goals and five assists in 29 national team appearances. Macario's brilliance extended past the USWNT. The Chelsea FC midfielder is up to two assists in nine league matches so far and scored two goals in Chelsea's 6-0 UEFA WomenÕs Champions League win over St. Polten last month.

(Kylie Graham, Imagn Images)

**8. Hilary Knight, hockey**Hilary Knight is synonymous with Team USA hockey. She led the Americans to the top of the podium at the 2025 Women's World Championships to claim her 10th gold medal, the most of any hockey player. She also holds world championship records for the most goals, assists and points. Knight led Team USA to the first sweep of Canada in the 2025 Rivalry Series with five goals and two assists across four games. Knight also had a PWHL-leading 29 points (15 goals, 14 assists) in 30 games for the Boston Fleet. She's set to appear in her fifth Olympics next year, which will mark the most for a U.S. hockey player, male or female.

(Leila Devlin, Getty Images)

**9. NiJaree Canady, softball**Texas Tech may have lost to Texas in the 2025 Women's College World Series, but pitcher NiJaree Canaday emerged as the face of college softball. The reigning national player of the year transferred from Stanford to Texas Tech and earned a seven-figure payday from the school's collective, marking the largest NIL deal for a college softball player. It was well deserved. Canady finished the season with a 1.11 ERA (second-best in the nation) and a team-high 11 home runs. She led Texas Tech to a school-record 54 wins, a Big 12 regular-season and tournament title and the program's first WCWS appearances. Even Texas Tech alum Patrick Mahomes came to see what all the hype was about and attended Game 2 of the WCWs.

(NATHAN J. FISH, THE OKLAHOMAN via USA TODAY NETWORK)

**10. Kyndal Stowers, Texas A&M volleyball**Just last year, Kyndal Stowers was medically retired after suffering four concussions in a matter of months. She didn't know if she would ever play volleyball again. By December 2025, Stowers was named the most outstanding player in the 2025 NCAA women's volleyball tournament after leading Texas A&M to their first national championship in program history with a sweep of SEC rival Kentucky. Stowers finished with 10 kills on .304 hitting, plus six digs, two service aces and one block. The Aggies shocked the world by defeating No. 1 overall seed Nebraska in five-sets, before sweeping No. 1 Pitt and No. 1 Kentucky in the Final Four.

(Jay Biggerstaff, Imagn Images)

What league, players' union say about the WNBA CBA

"This collective bargaining agreement represents a defining moment in the WNBA's 30-year history and all of women's professional sports," WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a release. "Since its inception, the WNBA has been shaped by extraordinary athletes who believed in the league's future. The agreement is a testament to that belief and to the tremendous progress we have achieved together."

"We've always believed that as this league grows, the players who power it must grow with it, and we're proud to see that belief shared," WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike said. "We love this game enough to push for what it can become, not just for ourselves, but for those who built this league and those who will carry it forward. This agreement reflects that shared commitment, with players owning their value and future alongside a league growing stronger because of it."

WNBA CBA rookie contracts and accelerators

For rookies, the league has established a new rookie contract scale , which will increase salaries for top draft picks, including the No. 1 overall pick in 2026. The top pick in this year's draft is projected to earn $500,000. Existing rookie contracts will also be adjusted upward. In the new CBA, there is also a pathway to max contracts for players on rookie deals who earn MVP or All-WNBA honors.

All-WNBA first- and second-team players who are on rookie contracts would become eligible to sign a max contract in their fourth year of service. They would not be eligible for the core designation following an extension, provided that they also sign a three-year extension. Something else new in the CBA is that starting in 2027, players with seven or more years of service cannot receive a core designation.

WNBA roster sizes

The league's deal includes key changes to roster sizes. Teams are now required to have 12 players. They will also have two more roster spots for developmental players and salary cap exceptions for injured or pregnant players.

Other items included in the CBA

The deal ensures enhanced standards for team facilities, expanded team staffing requirements, league-wide charter air travel, and significantly increased performance bonuses for individual award winners and playoff and Finals participants.
There are also enhancements for retirees and retirement planning, with expanded team contributions to 401(k) accounts and for players with children or who are family planning. WNBA veterans and retired players will also receive recognition payments based on years of service.
The deal also provides a pathway for games to increase from 44 games in 2026 to up to 50 games in 2027 and 2028, and up to 52 games in 2029 through 2032.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: WNBA'S new CBA brings housing, bonuses to players

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