New WNBA agreement finally frees Toronto Tempo to move forward

Finally, a breakthrough at last. Just 51 days before the league’s 30th season is set to tip off, the WNBA and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association have finally reached a verbal agreement on the terms of a new collective bargaining agreement early Wednesday morning on Mar. 18. For Toronto, the timing could not be more critical.

“I just want to say we have aligned on key elements of a new collective bargaining agreement. We still need to finalize a formal term sheet, but the progress made in these discussions marks a transformative step forward for players and the league,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said.

The agreement brings an end to months of stalled negotiations that had begun to impact league operations. Most notably, delays pushed back expansion timelines for both the Portland Fire and the Toronto Tempo, leaving their expansion drafts in limbo. With a deal now in place, those processes are expected to move forward quickly, particularly for the Tempo, whose draft date could be finally announced in the near future.

This will be the sixth CBA in WNBA history, following the WNBPA’s October 2020 opt-out, and it will bring significant changes. For just the first time in league history, the CBA will tie its salary system to revenue growth and is expected to offer $1 million salaries.

WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike and vice presidents Breanna Stewart, Alysha Clark, and Napheesa Collier, as well as treasurer Brianna Turner, were among the players who led negotiations. “For the first time, player salaries are tied to a truly meaningful share of league revenue, driving exponential growth in the salary cap, increasing average compensation beyond half a million dollars, and raising the professional standard across facilities, staffing, and support,” Ogwumike told reporters. “It strengthens housing and retirement and expands resources for family planning and parental leave. It redefines what it means to be a professional in this league.”

This is a major item to check off the WNBA offseason checklist. The league’s first two preseason games are scheduled for Apr. 25, with the Indiana Fever visiting the New York Liberty and the Seattle Storm facing the Golden State Valkyries. Before those games can even tip things off, Toronto and Portland must complete their expansion draft.

It will be a tall order for both teams to put together a 12-player roster in less than four months. Especially considering that the most recent expansion team, the Golden State Valkyries, held their expansion draft five months before the 2025 season tipped off.

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