With A Champagne Toast, The WNBA And Its Players Celebrated A New CBA

In the wee hours of Wednesday morning, a group of WNBA players and officials held glasses of champagne and called for a toast inside a fancy New York hotel.

It’s the WNBA offseason, yes, but none of the people in this conference room was in vacation mode. As a matter of fact, virtually all of them have slept little over the past several days.

But, as they sipped their victory beverage, they savored the milestone that they collectively achieved. Finally, a new CBA had taken shape.

According to ESPN’s Alexa Philippou, WNBPA vice president Alysha Clark (a 15-year veteran who played for the Seattle Storm and the Washington Mystics last season) gave “an emotional toast” at that moment.

“What we just accomplished is going to change the lives of so many players," Clark said. "And speaking from experience, players like me are going to be the ones that I think feel it the most, and that's what I think we're all super proud of, because that's what we set out from the beginning, was making sure every player felt the change in the CBA.”

What did Clark mean when she said “players like me?” It’s safe to assume that she was referring to WNBA players who are not quite on the superstar tier of an A’ja Wilson or a Napheesa Collier. Thanks to the unwavering resolve of the players association, as well as the openness of the officials on the league’s end, players like Clark get to fill their bank accounts in a way that was not previously possible.

Now, the popularity of another Clark (Caitlin, who plays for Indiana) and her fellow larger-than-life personalities Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers will have an even bigger impact on the rest of the league. The players association were banking on the rising prominence of the WNBA (which is thanks in part to CC and company) as they fought to get a bigger slice of the league’s revenue, not to mention better perks on the side.

Under the new CBA, the average salary in the league is set to go up to $600,000 a year. Teams will now operate under a salary cap of around $7 million, and supermax contracts in 2026 will start at $1.4 million.

Because WNBPA officials like Nneka Ogwumike, Breanna Stewart, and Clark would not relent (just like they don’t let up on the hardcourt), future generations of WNBA players can now build on these gains and reap better benefits than before. Now, and for a long, long time, that is worth a champagne toast.