Caitlin Clark has been far and away the biggest star in the WNBA since being drafted in 2024.
With the possibility of a WNBA lockout looming, new details surrounding the league’s latest collective bargaining agreement (CBA) proposal have surfaced, and they could significantly benefit the league’s emerging superstars.
Young players have increasingly voiced concerns about compensation, particularly as the WNBA experiences a surge in popularity.
Clark, the Indiana Fever guard, has been a vocal supporter of those concerns, and is widely viewed as a transformative figure for the league.
Despite her impact on attendance, television ratings, and merchandise sales, Clark, like many players on rookie contracts, is earning a fraction of her perceived market value.
Clark has previously urged both sides to find common ground, making clear that players want meaningful progress but also want to be on the court.
She said WNBA players will “fight for everything we deserve,” while emphasizing that they also “need to play basketball” next season.
Those remarks reflected a balancing act. Supporting union priorities while recognizing the risk of a disruption during a pivotal growth period for the league.
On Monday, ESPN‘s Alexa Philippou reported that the league’s latest CBA proposal could fast-track higher earnings for standout players early in their careers.
According to Philippou, All-WNBA First and Second Team players still on rookie deals would become eligible to sign a maximum contract in their fourth season.
In exchange, those players would not be eligible for the league’s “core” designation following that extension.
For Clark, who earned All-WNBA First Team honors during her 2024 rookie season, that rule change would have allowed her to sign a max deal as early as 2027 under the new structure.
Salary cap and maximum salaries set for massive jump
Beyond individual eligibility changes, the financial framework outlined in the proposal suggests a dramatic transformation in player pay league-wide.
The salary cap in the first year of the proposed deal would rise to $5.75 million, a 280% increase from last year’s $1.5 million cap, according to the Associated Press.
That number would then reach $8.5 million by the sixth year of the agreement.
Maximum salaries would also see a substantial leap, jumping from $249,000 to $1.3 million. Meanwhile, the average player salary would increase from approximately $120,000 to $540,000 in the first year alone.
The new CBA structure would more closely align on-court earnings with the league’s commercial growth and the star power driving it.
The timeline adds urgency to negotiations. A new agreement must be finalized by March 10 for the 2025 season to begin on schedule on May 8. If the sides fail to reach a deal, the league could face a lockout that disrupts what many expect to be a landmark season.
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