The Sound of One Shoe Dropping

This is from the Magnolia Banner News (in Arkansas), but it cites AP as its source... still, it will be nice to have verification from other publications. Anyway:

"Salary cap

The salary cap for the 2026 season is expected to be $7 million with average salaries more than $585,000, according to the person. Top players can make over $1 million for the first time in the league's history with a supermax salary close to $1.4 million. The cap could grow up to $11 million in 2031 if revenue projections go well. The salary cap can change a maximum of 10% in either direction each year with the exception of after the first season when it could up or down 13%."

So... there it is: regardless of League growth (or, hypothetically, decline), the WNBA salary cap is limited to a 10%/year increase (or decrease), with a +/- of 13% permitted for Year 2. If you calculate the max possible increase for the first six years of the CBA (which is when the Union could opt out), it comes to \~90%.

The good news (such as it is) is that is better than the \~8% annual increase in earlier League proposals. And that increase is per team, which means the League is paying more than that when you factor in adding three additional teams (i.e., the League will need to supply the cap amount to 18 teams instead of the current 15).

Still, I think the League has made a pretty safe bet saying that its revenue will increase by more than about double in the next six years (especially if they're able to negotiate for a larger percentage of the NBA/WNBA media deal in three years) while their payout to the players is limited. I predict that in 4-5 years, the players will be looking forward to their next CBA negotiation opportunity. Cheers.