The WNBA is about to be bigger than ever.
The league announced a major expansion last week, bringing in new teams in Philadelphia, Cleveland and Detroit — in addition to already announced teams in Toronto and Portland — over the next five seasons.
For players such as Chicago Sky center and WNBPA secretary Elizabeth Williams, this growth is a sign of necessary change. The league is growing at a rapid pace. It’s consistently breaking records for viewership, attendance and revenue. And as a result, the players union feels empowered to ask for more amid negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement.
After rejecting the league’s initial CBA proposal last week, the WNBPA is trying to make a point: Growth should be universal for the league and its players alike.
“The league is saying that we’re growing, we’re expanding, business is booming,” Williams said. “That’s a sign to us that some of the things that we’re asking for are not unrealistic.”
Expansion has been a primary goal of the WNBA for years. But initial responses to the three new teams around the league were mixed. Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham drew particular ire after saying she didn’t “know how excited people are to be going to Detroit or (Cleveland)” for games.
Sky forward Angel Reese and Williams voiced more enthusiasm for the incoming teams, noting the rich history of women’s basketball in Detroit and Cleveland and the passionate sports fandom of Philadelphia. But their excitement for the league’s growth was tempered by the reality of the ongoing CBA negotiations.
“Obviously (we’re) super excited to continue to grow and more players can be in this league, because this league is great,” Reese said. “There are a lot of great players out there that don’t have an opportunity to play right now.”
The expansion news came in the midst of bargaining as the league prepared to present its first offer. Phoenix Mercury player representative Satou Sabally described the initial offer as a “slap in the face.”
Williams used softer language but agreed the league’s vision remains distant from player expectations.
“We still feel like they’re not really hearing us clearly and fully in what we’re asking for,” Williams said.
First and foremost, players are advocating for a major hike to the salary cap. WNBA teams currently are allowed to spend slightly more than $1.5 million on their entire roster. (In contrast, the minimum salary for an NBA rookie contract is roughly $1.1 million.) A supermax contract in the WNBA is worth just under $250,000 per year.
But it’s not just about the money — players also are advocating for increased benefits and improved working conditions. That could include the expansion of rosters, currently capped at 12 players per team.
Most players and coaches agree that one additional roster spot would prove beneficial to the health and development of the league, providing deeper rotations and better options for teams that lose players to season-ending injuries.
Williams noted that expanding rosters to 15 players (the same number as an NBA roster) would present challenges because WNBA games are 40 minutes as opposed to 48 in the NBA. That could mean end-of-the-bench players on an expanded roster would see minimal playing time — if they got on the court at all.
But Sky coach Tyler Marsh is one of many advocating heavily for increased rosters as a way of both preventing and adapting to injuries.
“It helps a lot with durability,” Marsh said. “It’s a long, tough, grueling season. (We) don’t really have a true offseason for those that play overseas or those that play in other leagues.
“Being able to have another roster spot or two allows you to be able to rest some players at times, to get a little bit more for the long run out of your players, so you don’t have that same wear and tear on their bodies.”
The future is uncertain for both the league and its players. The current CBA expires Oct. 31, at which point the union will be on the clock to cement a new deal in time for the 2026 season.
Training camps traditionally start in late April — this year they opened April 27 — which gives the parties almost six months to negotiate before nearing a potential work stoppage.
Will a compromise be reached in that time? Or will the WNBA see its first lockout next spring?
The upcoming months of negotiations will be pivotal for both the league’s expansion and the landscape of professional women’s basketball in the U.S.
