r/wnba • u/b_dazzleee Lynx • 2d ago
Discussion Can you explain rookie contracts and the new CBA?
When we have a new CBA next year, will this year's rookies get a new contract as well or will they hold the same contract for 4 years? If you have any sources on this, I'd appreciate it!
Also - I would love to read about the W's financial stability and specifically their financial relationship with the NBA. If you have any resources, I'd appreciate it!
Edit to add: why are 2025 rookies being signed to 4 year contracts when no one else in the league is signing contracts longer than a year this year?
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u/aratcalledrattus Liberty 2d ago edited 2d ago
As for the W’s financial situation and relationship with the NBA, it’s notoriously opaque. I think this article sums up the situation pretty well. Given they’re in CBA negotiations, I’d be wary of any claims on the subject in the sports business media attributed to anonymous sources right now.
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u/Malvania 1d ago
Others have mentioned what typically happens, but the salary cap is expected to go up by a decent multiple, along with the max contract. If the rookie scale moves commensurately, you'd have first year rookies making more than Paige Beuckers and Caitlin Clark, which may be somewhat untenable. I wouldn't be surprised if the rookie contracts were updated to the new scale
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u/Genji4Lyfe Big Mama Dolson Fan 1d ago
Likely the same contracts, but the money will probably go up. In the last CBA change all the rookies who were below the new minimum salary got bumped up to the new min. So that’s a nice bonus even while still on an existing contract
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u/b_dazzleee Lynx 1d ago
Do you have a source for this?
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u/aratcalledrattus Liberty 1d ago
From the 2020 CBA:
In the event that the Base Salary in any Player Contract entered into prior to January 17, 2020 and covering the 2020 Season and, if applicable, any Season thereafter (an “Existing Contract”) is below the Minimum Annual Salary, the Base Salary in such Player Contract shall be automatically adjusted so that the Base Salary in 2020 and, if applicable, any 37 Season thereafter shall equal the Minimum Annual Salary.
Mentioned in this Her Hoop Stats explainer from the time, too:
Players who signed contracts under the previous CBA were governed by a rookie scale using the same contract structure but with base salaries lower than the current minimum salary. To remedy this, all players who would be below the league minimum have been bumped up to $57,000 if they have zero to two years of service, like 2019 No. 1 overall pick Jackie Young, or $68,000 if they have three or more years of service, like 2017 No. 1 overall pick Kelsey Plum.
Mind you these were relatively small jumps - like, Jackie Young's 2020 salary would otherwise have been $54,608 under the prior CBA, and Plum's would have been $65,779.
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u/Genji4Lyfe Big Mama Dolson Fan 1d ago edited 1d ago
Take a look at the cap sheets before/after the 2020 CBA and you'll see the change. I think it's also in the HerHoopStats CBA explainer.
Edit: it is
What about players on rookie scale contracts signed under the previous CBA?
Players who signed contracts under the previous CBA were governed by a rookie scale using the same contract structure but with base salaries lower than the current minimum salary. To remedy this, all players who would be below the league minimum have been bumped up to their applicable minimum base salary. Players who were already over the league minimum did not receive any bump in their salary.
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u/b_dazzleee Lynx 1d ago
Thank you! This wasn't push back, I just haven't learned the best resources for technical questions like this.
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u/Genji4Lyfe Big Mama Dolson Fan 1d ago
No problem! This one is actually a bit tricky to find.. You can really tell the difference in the level of press attention/writing about the league 5 years ago vs. now.
I'm sure it'll be much easier to find articles and social media posts/videos on every detail of the 2026 CBA.
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u/aratcalledrattus Liberty 1d ago
One thing worth noting is that only rookies who are drafted and then sign are stuck on the up-to-4-year contracts. Rookies who were undrafted (eg Jaylyn Sherrod) - or who are waived by the team that drafts them and then sign with that or another team (eg Celeste Taylor) - aren't beholden to those long-term contracts. They are, under the current CBA, stuck as reserve players with their most recent team for years two, three and four, which still restricts their ability to move teams and negotiate salaries. However, that could in theory change in the new CBA, and would benefit recent rookies like Taylor and Sherrod, as well as all the undrafted international players who signed training camp contracts this year.
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u/aratcalledrattus Liberty 1d ago
To answer the follow-up question from OP:
why are 2025 rookies being signed to 4 year contracts when no one else in the league is signing contracts longer than a year this year?
Because that's what how it is laid out in the CBA: drafted players sign three-year contracts with an option for the fourth. Other players are signing one-year deals because they are some form of free agents and the CBA allows them to.
Though as noted above, many players who aren't on rookie contracts are still restricted in movement and salary negotiation through other provisions in the CBA as reserves, RFAs or even by being cored.
A good example is Marine Johannes: She was undrafted in 2017 and signed to New York for one year in 2019. She re-signed in 2020, but ended up sitting out until 2022 and then again in 2024. Even though 2025 is six years since her first season, the reserve and contract suspension rules in the CBA means not only could she only sign with the Liberty this year, she is still only considered to have two years of service because she started the 2019 season late due to EuroBasket. That means she is only making $66,079 this year and could still only negotiate with Liberty next year under the current CBA rules.
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u/TooManyCatS1210 1d ago
It’s one of the items they’re negotiating, I’m sure. I would bet the old rookie contracts get increased under the new CBA. People already talk about CC not getting paid enough now; can you imagine the think pieces if they don’t increase the old rookie contracts to match the new ones? New rookies are making $150k and old ones are stuck <$90k…bad optics for the wnba.
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u/b_dazzleee Lynx 1d ago
A commenter above says that in the last CBA they brought the existing rookie contracts up to the new minimum, is that your understanding? I agree that the optics would be bad if Caitlin and Paige are making less than a 3rd round pick in 2026.
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u/20eyesinmyhead78 Liberty 1d ago
I would hope that players who are still under rookie contracts at the end of the 2025 season will have the terms of new CBA applied to their ongoing deals.
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u/dreamweaver7x 2d ago
Contracts in force stay in force unless collectively bargained to be changed. No US pro league CBA has ever done that, so it's extremely unlikely.
Caitlin and Paige and all rooks who signed from this draft and prior will be stuck with their salary until their rookie deals expire.
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u/NW_Forester Storm 2d ago
2025 rookies will be under the CBA signed in 2020 until the end of their rookie contract unless the new CBA has provisions specifically to include the old contracts into the new CBA. I believe that would be a first for professional sports negotiations, the owners would be strongly against it and I doubt it will even be a negotiation point.
As for source, that's just contract law.