WNBA players are getting a huge raise, and it’s great news for the Toronto Tempo
Now all the team needs is some players
WNBA players are set to get massive raises, just in time for the Toronto Tempo’s inaugural season.
In the wee hours of the morning today, the WNBA and its players’ union emerged from a marathon collective bargaining session with an agreement in principle for a new collective agreement, which, if approved, would increase the average player salary sixfold, from roughly $100,000 last year to $600,000 under the new deal (all figures US).
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Salary caps for each team would also increase from $1.15 million to $7 million. The league would have to share roughly 20 per cent of its revenues with its players across the deal, according to ESPN reporter Shams Charania.
The league and players’ union had been locked in intense negotiations for the past eight days before the agreement in principle was announced at around 2:20 a.m.
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The deal isn’t yet finalized—specifics need to be ironed out, and both players and the league’s board will have to approve the final term sheet. Nevertheless, the union is already hailing it as a victory. “For the first time, player salaries are tied to a truly meaningful share of league revenue,” said union president Nneka Ogwumike, per TSN. “This is historical for women’s sports.”
The deal comes at a late hour for the league, and not just because it was finalized after midnight: the 2026 season launches on May 8, less than two months from now. In that short time, the Toronto Tempo will have to select its entire roster of players and shape them into a team—no small task on a tight deadline.
Hard work for the players, no doubt—but at least they’ll be getting paid accordingly.
Anthony Milton is a freelance journalist based in Toronto specializing in long-form magazine writing. He previously worked as an assistant editor at Toronto Life, where he launched the Front Row newsletter. He regularly contributes all sorts of stories to the magazine, including deep dives on sports, business and housing as well as short-form commentary on our ever-changing city, from its obsession with cherry blossoms to its maddening NIMBYism. His work has also appeared in Maclean’s, Ricochet, TVO, the Trillium and more.
