Diana Taurasi reacts to WNBA, player's union verbal agreement on new collective bargaining

The WNBA's milestone 30th play is scheduled to extremity disconnected successful little than 2 months. On Wednesday, the marathon negotiations betwixt the WNBA and Women's National Basketball Players Association ended with an historical statement connected a corporate bargaining agreement.

The 2 sides verbally agreed to a woody that would rise teams’ wage caps to $7 million, ESPN reported. Last season’s wage headdress was $1.5 million. Players volition beryllium eligible for supermax deals starting astatine $1.4 cardinal successful 2026, up from $249,244 successful 2025.

Every WNBA subordinate volition gain astatine slightest $300,000 nether the caller CBA, sources told ESPN.

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A item of the WNBA logo is seen connected a hoops during warmups betwixt the Seattle Storm and the Connecticut Sun astatine Climate Pledge Arena connected June 20, 2023, successful Seattle, Washington.  (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

Diana Taurasi, an 11-time All-Star and three-time WNBA champion, reacted to the latest development. The erstwhile Phoenix Mercury defender said she believes the woody is simply a measurement successful the close direction.

"The WNBA has gone done a agelong travel implicit the past 30 years," she told The Spun. "There’s a batch of hard work, grit, perseverance and determination. This is conscionable different milestone for women’s sports. It’s bully to spot the WNBA successful a amended spot than wherever you near it."

WNBA STARS' ALL-STAR GAME MESSAGE ON PAY INCREASE DRAWS SOCIAL MEDIA REACTION

The details of the word expanse are inactive being finalized. The adjacent measurement is ratification by the players and the league’s committee of governors.

Diana Taurasi speaks during a property league astatine the Phoenix Mercury Practice Facility connected March 13, 2025, successful Phoenix, Arizona. Taurasi announced she was retiring aft a 20-year vocation successful the WNBA.  (Chris Coduto/Getty Images)

Taurasi’s sentiments echoed WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert's stance astir what she described arsenic a landmark deal.

"The advancement made successful these discussions marks a transformative measurement guardant for players and the league," Engelbert told reporters soon aft the woody was struck aboriginal Wednesday, "and it’s underscoring a shared committedness to the continued maturation of the game.

"It's [been] a process, but we're precise arrogant to beryllium starring successful women's sports, and these players are amazing, and we're going to person an astonishing 30th play tipping disconnected successful May."

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert speaks during a quality league earlier the WNBA All-Star hoops crippled connected July 19, 2025, successful Indianapolis, Indiana.  (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Seattle Storm guardant and WNBPA enforcement committee president Nneka Ogwumike, who participated successful the prolonged bargaining sessions, commended the efforts that led to the caller CBA.

"We're conscionable truly grateful to beryllium capable to travel to a deal," Ogwumike said. "We're arrogant of ourselves. And rather frankly, we ever told you each we were going to basal connected business, and that's what this looks like.

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Once the caller CBA is finalized, it volition people the sixth statement successful WNBA history, with the erstwhile 1 reached successful 2020. The afloat presumption of the caller woody are expected to bespeak the league’s caller surge successful growth, viewership and wide popularity.

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