The WNBA has reached a historic milestone by implementing revenue sharing for the first time, as announced by the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) on February 23, 2026. This significant development ensures that the thirteen teams will allocate a total of $8 million to players from their recent earnings.

Further details on the league’s overall revenue and the specific threshold for this sharing initiative remain undisclosed. While the WNBPA has withheld certain financial statements, the league has opted not to comment on the figures.

Additionally, the WNBPA is set to distribute another $9.25 million tied to revenue accumulated from various licensing agreements since 2020, covering merchandise like jerseys and trading cards, based on players’ tenure between 2020 and 2025, up to a cap of $50,000 per player.

As these developments occur, there remains a backdrop of ongoing labor disputes between the WNBA and its players, creating uncertainty for the upcoming 2026 season, which is scheduled to start on May 8. The two sides are in negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement, with a key deadline set for March 10 to finalize terms without scheduling conflicts.

“This shows our value and how what we’re fighting for makes sense and how we should keep fighting,” said WNBPA treasurer Brianna Turner.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver emphasized the urgency of these negotiations, noting, “We need to now move towards the next-level sense of urgency and not lose momentum in terms of the amazing amount of progress we’ve seen in women’s basketball.”

The revenue sharing framework established in the previous CBA was based on outdated revenue figures, resulting in challenges when the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted games and income. Under the new terms expected for the 2026 CBA negotiations, players seek a larger share of gross revenue, while the league advocates for a division of net revenue after operational costs are deducted.

The playing field is shifting rapidly as the WNBPA proposes an average share of 27.5% gross revenue for players against the league’s offer of 70% of the net revenue shared over the term of the deal.

As the official WNBA training camps are set to open on April 19 and the league prepares for the 2026 season, timely agreement on a new CBA is vital, alongside preparations for an anticipated expansion draft involving two new teams.