This year, the number of free agents is uncharacteristically high as players negotiated their contracts to end after the 2025 season, hedging their bets on higher payouts under the new CBA. With the salary cap rising from $1.5 million to $7 million, supermax contracts rising from just below $250,000 to around $1.4 million annually, average salaries growing from $105,000 to $600,000, and the minimum salaries starting at $300,000, players are in for a massive raise.Â
Before free agency gets into full swing, here are the five biggest questions that can help contextualize how this unprecedented offseason will unfold:Â
1. What does timing look like?
Free agency will start on April 7 and finish up on April 18. Qualifying offers will be sent April 7-8, negotiations will take place from April 9-11, and the official signing period is set to start on April 12 and end April 18. The free agency period is bookended by other critical offseason proceedings, including an expansion draft (April 1-6), the WNBA Draft (April 16), and WNBA training camp (April 19).Â
2. Will teams be able to keep their core together, or will the new CBA force roster breakups?
With the salary cap jumping from $1.5 million to $7 million, front offices must re-price every roster spot. Though franchises likely want to retain some semblance of rosters that fueled record breaking seasons in 2025, role players’ values have skyrocketed to a minimum of $300,000, creating a bargaining overload where management will likely face tradeoffs between retaining roster depth and keeping star talent.Â
3. How much power do free agents actually have under the new CBA?
With dramatically higher pay across the board, players will now be able to choose their team based on best fit rather than financial necessity. Role players often forced to jump from team to team will now be able to sustain themselves leading to long term stability and the opportunity to become synonymous with a single team. More broadly, a higher salary floor and revenue share strengthens players’ solidarity for labor negotiations to come.
4. How will talent be distributed?
In theory, blanket salary increases mean talent can spread more evenly, resulting in deeper, more competitive games across the entirety of the league. In reality, franchises with strong infrastructure, experienced ownership, and existing talent cores still have a significant advantage in attracting top players. Yet, more money could also mean the formation of new a new Superteam to rival the Aces and the Liberty, depending on how things even out.
5. What about rookies?
Under the new deal, rookies can take home max or supermax salaries in their fourth year if they make the WNBA All-Star team or are awarded league MVP, respectively. Under the new deal, Caitlin Clark could earn $1.3 million in 2027 and then sign for a supermax salary of $1.7 million in 2028.
Though the next few weeks will be a whirlwind, the decisions made will not only reshape rosters but offer a first look at how the WNBA’s new era will function in practice.