A landmark WNBA labor deal nears reality, paving the way for the first million dollar players

Associated Press (AP)CenterEN 3 min read 100% complete by By DOUG FEINBERGMarch 19, 2026 at 12:23 AM

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The WNBA and its players' union reached a tentative collective bargaining agreement (CBA) early Wednesday morning. If approved, the new CBA will allow for the league's first million-dollar player salaries. Both the players and the league's Board of Governors must ratify the agreement before it becomes official. The league will then proceed with an expansion draft for the new Toronto and Portland teams, followed by free agency and the college draft scheduled for April 13 in New York. Over 80% of the league's players are free agents this year, requiring teams to quickly adapt to the new CBA terms to make informed decisions regarding contracts and player acquisitions.

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Key Player Opposition Context

Uncasville, Conn. 30% Tempo 40% Fire 40% Mohegan Sun Arena 40% Golden State Valkyries 50% New York ×250% Toronto 60% Portland 60% WNBA ×390%

Keywords

wnba 100% labor deal 90% collective bargaining agreement 80% million dollar players 70% free agency 70% expansion draft 60% new teams 50% college draft 50% contracts 40%

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Positive

Score: 0.40

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Source

Associated Press (AP)

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Center (0.00)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Toronto

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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wnba labor deal collective bargaining agreement million dollar players free agency expansion draft new teams college draft contracts

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