WNBA changing possible end date to Nov. 21 under new CBA

Under the new WNBA collective bargaining agreement, the league is changing its latest potential expiration date to Nov. 21, which is about a month later than the previous deal, according to a document produced by the union and obtained by ESPN.

The document said the season could extend until November 30 due to the Olympic event in 2028. This is the latest WNBA season to be extended so far.

Starting in 2027, the number of possible games to be played will increase to 50, and then to 52 by 2029.

Part of the extended calendar can be attributed to expansion. Toronto and Portland are joining the league this season. By 2030, the league will have a record 18 teams as commissioner Cathy Engelbert continues to emphasize its importance Expanding the league’s scheduling footprint.

Players will also be required to report to their respective teams first. Under the new CBA starting in 2027, players will have to reach their home markets by the end of April 15 or the start of training camp. Earlier, the report date was after May 1 or the beginning of the camp.

The late November deadline and possible earlier report date could impact players who play overseas during the offseason, including players signed to Project B, which is scheduled to take place from November 2026 to April 2027. The upcoming international five-on-five league has not yet announced the dates of its opening and closing tournaments, but it will stop on tour in Tokyo from March 26 to April 4.

The latest possible end date in the last CBA was October 31, with a maximum of 44 games allowed. The earliest possible start date on the basketball calendar, April 1, remains unchanged.

The document also highlights several other issues at the core of the CBA talks, which concluded last week when the WNBA and WNBPA verbally agreed to the terms of a deal in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

The document also specified that, “by way of salaries and benefits,” players would receive 20% of the previous year’s gross revenue. There was considerable negotiation between the WNBPA and the WNBA over what type of revenue sharing system to adopt, with the union proposing a gross revenue system (revenue before expenses are deducted) and the league proposing a net revenue (revenue after expenses are deducted).

More salary figures have also been revealed: minimum salary is based on years of service, starting at $270,000 for zero years of service; $277,500 for one to three years; $285,000 for four to six years; $292,500 for seven to nine years; and $300,000 for 10 or more years. Those amounts increase by 4% each year, the document says.

The next tier below the supermax – previously announced at $1.4 million in 2026 – is the regular max, which comes to $1.19 million in 2026, or 17% of the cap ($7 million). This number increases with salary range.

The average Year 1 salary for 2026 first-round picks will be $386,000, up from about $75,000 in 2025, while the rookie-scale salary for the No. 1 pick will equate to more than $2.2 million over four years, the document said.

Also a change in the new agreement, lottery picks will receive full salary protection in their first year, with unspecified “additional salary protection opportunities available for other selections.” Earlier he got protection only when his fourth year option was exercised.

The CBA was approved by both the WNBPA and the league on Tuesday, and both parties must now complete the long-term document.

Elsewhere in the document, new minimum standards for practice facilities and team staffing – a priority for players during negotiations – were made clear.

As for facilities, teams are required to provide nursing rooms and, starting in 2027, a family room at the team’s home field.

However, in 2028, there are specific requirements for practice facilities, listed as follows: a locker room with adequate bathrooms, showers and lockers for exclusive use by the WNBA team; A WNBA regulation basketball court is available on a private and exclusive basis during its scheduled use; A separate weight room and cardio area on a private and exclusive basis during scheduled use.

A separate medical/treatment room with necessary furnishings available on a private and exclusive basis during scheduled use; and a designated non-public, safe and clean area for dining.

As for staffing, teams are now required to hire two athletic trainers, two team physicians, a strength and conditioning coach, a physical therapist, a director of sports medicine, a massage therapist, and a nutritionist. Previously they were only required to hire one athletic trainer and one team physician. Teams are also now required to employ at least one security personnel.

The league will also establish a joint WNBA/WNBPA committee on wearables; There will be a voluntary program from 2026-28 where players will be allowed to use approved wearable devices during games, and then in 2028 the WNBA will allow the use “pending preparations determined by the Joint Committee.” The summary states that player data will not be available for use by WNBA teams in player contract negotiations.

A committee will also be formed to develop parameters and rules for new predraft requirements, including potential combines, ahead of the 2027 season.

Other highlights of the document:

• Players signed to contracts as part of a sign-and-trade can no longer sign for more than the standard maximum salary.

• Recognition payments for already retired players range from $30,000 for five to seven years of service; $50,000 for years eight to 11; Up to $100,000 for more than 12 years; Retired players with four or more years of service will also earn a $1,200 annual reimbursement for health care expenses.

• Teams can offer six to seven more guaranteed contracts (not including rookie-level contracts).

• For two new developmental player places, players with three serves or in the four to five minute range are eligible; He could be activated for 12 games in 2026.

• The WNBPA will manage and control the licensing rights for adult jerseys, rather than a previously determined league.

• Teams must allow dependent children age 13 or younger (or older at the team’s discretion) to travel with the team and provide an additional hotel room.

• Two weeks of paid leave is now available for non-birth parents; Teams were allowed more than two weeks.

• Family planning benefits are now available to players with more than 2 years of service and their partners/spouses; Previously only players with eight or more years of service were eligible, and the benefit was not available to partners/spouses.