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Golden State Valkyries Rise

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Golden State Valkyries Expansion Draft: Picks and Quick Analysis

The Golden State Valkyries have made their expansion draft selections for their inaugural season. Here’s a rundown of their picks:

Iliana Rupert, 23 (6’4″ Center, Atlanta Dream)
2024 Stats: 8.5 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 1.1 BPG

Maria Conde, 27 (6’2″ Forward, Chicago Sky)
2024 Stats: Played overseas, no WNBA stats available

Veronica Burton, 24 (5’9″ Guard, Connecticut Sun)
2024 Stats: 6.3 PPG, 3.8 APG, 1.7 SPG

Carla Leite, 20 (5’10” Guard, Dallas Wings)
2024 Stats: Played overseas, no WNBA stats available

Temi Fagbenle, 32 (6’4″ Center, Indiana Fever)

Kate Martin, 24 (6’0″ Guard, Las Vegas Aces)
2024 Stats: 5.6 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 2.1 APG

Stephanie Talbot, 30 (6’2″ Forward, Los Angeles Sparks)
2024 Stats: 7.1 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 1.8 APG

Cecilia Zandalasini, 29 (6’1″ Forward, Minnesota Lynx)
2024 Stats: 6.8 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 1.2 APG

Kayla Thornton, 32 (6’1″ Forward, New York Liberty)
2024 Stats: 8.9 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 1.4 APG

Monique Billings, 28 (6’4″ Forward, Phoenix Mercury)
2024 Stats: 6.2 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 1.0 BPG

Julie Vanloo, 31 (5’7″ Guard, Washington Mystics)
2024 Stats: 7.4 PPG, 4.3 APG, 1.2 SPG

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Some Key Points and Takeaways:

Versatility and Depth: The Valkyries focused on selecting versatile players who can contribute in multiple ways including Burton and Martin who bring defense and shooting, respectively.

International Experience: Players like Maria Conde and Carla Leite bring unique skill sets and playing styles from playing overseas. However, neither player has yet indicated whether they will be playing this upcoming season.

Frontcourt Stability: Iliana Rupert and Temi Fagbenle provide a solid foundation in the paint, but they will need to be more consistent contributors.

What’s Ahead

As the Valkyries prepare for their first season, their focus will shift to free agency and the upcoming WNBA draft:

Free Agency: Can the Valkyries entice big-name free agents like Breanna Stewart and others to bolster their roster? Several stars, including Nneka Ogwumike and Kelsey Plum, have ties to California and might be swayed.

2025 WNBA Draft: The Valkyries are expected to have the 5th pick in a deep draft. Players like Sonia Citron and Aneesah Morrow could be available.

 

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WNBA and Players Union Reach Historic New CBA Agreement

new wnba cba

After over 100 hours of marathon negotiations, the WNBA and the players’ union (WNBPA) have reached a verbal agreement on a transformational new WNBA CBA. Fueled by booming league viewership, the announcement confirms the 2026 season will start on time and deliver the largest pay increase in league history.

The Financial Leap

For the first time, the league has established a formal revenue-sharing model which alters the entire financial foundation of the WNBA. Player compensation is now tied directly to a nearly 20% average revenue share. To understand the magnitude of this new WNBA CBA, here is how the financial structure compares to last season:

Salary Cap: Jumps to $7 million per team (up from $1.5 million in 2025).

Average Salary: Jumps to around $600,000 (a massive increase from last season’s average of $107,000).

Maximum Salaries: The new supermax starts at $1.4 million (dwarfing the 2025 supermax of $249,244).

Minimum & Rookie Base: The new minimum salary surpasses $300,000. For context, the 2025 rookie minimum was $66,079, with top-tier rookies earning between $76,000 and $78,000.

Ratification & The Sprint to Open the 2026 Season

The term sheet will now go to the players and the WNBA Board of Governors for a vote to ratify the new agreement, a process expected to take several weeks.

Because extended negotiations successfully avoided a delay, the core 2026 of the WNBA calendar remains intact. However, the league is now staring down a jam-packed offseason in order to open the 2026 season on time. The WNBA must quickly execute a two-team expansion draft for Toronto and Portland and navigate a massive free agency period for more than 100 players before training camps open in mid-April.

Notably, this compressed timeline means free agency and the draft will overlap, creating a whirlwind for front offices. Here is how the upcoming month is expected to play out:

March 31: CBA Formally Signed

April 1-6: Expansion Draft (Toronto & Portland)

April 7-18: Free Agency Period

April 13: WNBA Draft

April 19: Training Camp Opens

April 25: Preseason Games Begin

May 8: Regular Season Tips Off

Transformative Benefits

League leaders, including WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert and WNBPA President Nneka Ogwumike, called the deal transformative.

Ogwumike highlighted how the new agreement fundamentally shifts the player experience:

For the first time, player salaries are tied to a truly meaningful share of league revenue, driving exponential growth in the salary cap, increasing average compensation beyond half a million dollars, and raising the professional standard across facilities, staffing, and support. It strengthens housing and retirement, and expands resources for family planning and parental leave. It redefines what it means to be a professional in this league.

WNBPA President Nneka Ogwumike

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⭐ WNBA Expansion: Essential Fan Resources

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What Would New WNBA Salaries Look Like in 2026?

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new wnba salaries

What could a top WNBA player earn in 2026 and beyond? Six figures? A million dollars? Or a truly revolutionary multi-million dollar salary?

 

The answer is being decided right now in negotiations for the league’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which expires on October 31st. The final number depends entirely on which financial blueprint the league and its players can agree on.

 

To understand what new WNBA salaries could look like, we don’t have to guess. We just have to look at the proven, billion-dollar model used by their NBA counterparts and apply it to the WNBA’s new financial reality.

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The Blueprint for Million-Dollar Salaries: The NBA Model

 

The NBA’s salaries are not arbitrary; they are the direct result of a negotiated partnership that turns league revenue into player paychecks.

 

Here’s how the NBA’s revenue directly translates into its salary cap, using real, projected numbers for the 2025-26 season:

 

Step 1: Determine the Player’s Total Share. The NBA’s total revenue is over $11 billion, a large portion of which is counted as Basketball Related Income (BRI). The CBA mandates that players receive 50% of this BRI. For the 2025-26 season, this created a total salary pool for all players of approximately $4.638 billion.

 

Step 2: Divide the Pool by the Number of Teams. That $4.638 billion pot is then divided evenly among the 30 teams in the league.

 

The Math: $4.638 Billion / 30 teams = $154.6 Million.

 

This final number—$154.6 million—becomes the official team salary cap. That cap, in turn, dictates the maximum salary a single player can earn (which is set as a percentage of the cap) and all other player contracts.

⭐ WNBA Expansion: Essential Fan Resources

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Projecting the Future: Two Paths for WNBA Salaries

 

The WNBA’s current economic model results in players receiving a share of league revenue that is approximately 10%. Using the WNBA’s new, conservatively projected annual revenue of $400 million, we can see what salaries would look like when that revenue is split across the 15 teams set for the 2026 season.

 

Path A: The Current WNBA Model (~10% Share)

 

If the league maintains its current structure, the new revenue would create a total player salary pool of $40 million (10% of $400M).

  • The Math: $40,000,000 / 15 teams = $2,666,666
  • New Team Salary Cap: Approximately $2.67 million
  • What a Max Salary Would Look Like: In the $500,000 – $600,000 range.
  • What a Top Rookie Would Earn: Around $150,000.

 

Path B: The NBA Partnership Model (~40-50% Share)

 

If the WNBA adopts the NBA’s partnership blueprint, a 40% share of revenue would create a total player salary pool of $160 million.

  • The Math: $160,000,000 / 15 teams = $10,666,666
  • New Team Salary Cap: Approximately $10.67 million
  • What a Max Salary Would Look Like: $1.5 – $2+ million per year.
  • What a Top Rookie Would Earn: A starting salary in the $250,000 – $300,000+ range.

The Billion-Dollar Question: Why Wouldn’t the WNBA Adopt This Model?


Seeing the numbers, the natural question is: why would the league even consider Path A?

 

The holdup is historical. The 10% model is a relic from the WNBA’s “investment phase,” when owners subsidized the league and absorbed losses. Now that the league is a high-growth business, owners are positioned to see a major return on that long-term investment, and sharing 40-50% of the revenue would cut into that return significantly.

 

The players’ union, however, is arguing that the investment has matured. The players are the partners driving today’s record-breaking revenue and deserve to be compensated as such. They are not asking for a handout, but for the same proven, revenue-sharing partnership that allowed the NBA to grow into a financial juggernaut from its own unprofitable past.

 

So, what will new WNBA salaries look like? They could be a respectable step forward. Or they could be revolutionary, creating a new class of multi-millionaire athletes with salaries finally befitting a league that has long proclaimed itself the home of the best players in the world.

Is a $1.5M+ salary worth a potential lockout?

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Los Angeles Sparks Announce Plans for New $150 Million Practice Facility

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sparks new practice facility
A rendering of the planned 55,000-square-foot practice facility for the Los Angeles Sparks in El Segundo, designed by Gensler. Image courtesy of the Los Angeles Sparks.
sparks new practice facility
Circular locker room for the Sparks facility. Credit: Los Angeles Sparks / Gensler
sparks new practice facility
Player sanctuary for the Sparks facility. Credit: Los Angeles Sparks / Gensler

The Los Angeles Sparks’ new practice facility is a $150 million, 55,000-square-foot project, headquartered in El Segundo, with an estimated opening in 2027. The project represents a significant long-term investment from the team’s ownership and is reportedly the largest of its kind for a professional women’s sports team.

 

The timing of the announcement is noteworthy, as it precedes a crucial period for the WNBA. The league and the players’ association are currently negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) ahead of the October 31st deadline, and the outcome is expected to reshape the league’s financial landscape. This has set the stage for a highly competitive free agency period this coming offseason, with many prominent players positioned to sign new deals under the anticipated new agreement.

⭐ WNBA Expansion: Essential Fan Resources

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This commitment to infrastructure comes at a time of unprecedented growth for the WNBA. Fueled by record-breaking viewership and successful expansion into new markets like the Bay Area and soon, Portland, the league is seeing a surge in investment across the board. The Sparks’ move to build their own facility is part of a growing, league-wide trend. The Las Vegas Aces, Seattle Storm, and Phoenix Mercury already have their own dedicated facilities. They are being followed by a wave of other franchises, with the Chicago Sky, Indiana Fever, Dallas Wings, New-York Liberty, and the 2026 expansion team Portland Fire having all announced plans for their own dedicated training centers.

The Sparks’ planned facility is designed to be a comprehensive center for player development and wellness. According to the team, it will be the WNBA’s first indoor-outdoor player facility and will include a host of modern amenities aimed at performance and recovery.

Key features are set to include:

  • Two WNBA regulation basketball courts
  • An outdoor spa pool for recovery and rehabilitation
  • Dedicated nap and wellness rooms for yoga and meditation
  • Hydrotherapy suites
  • A state-of-the-art weight room with extensive natural light
  • A circular locker room designed to promote team chemistry
  • Retractable doors to offer an open-air environment with views of the Pacific Ocean

 

In a league where dedicated, high-quality facilities are becoming a key factor for athletes, these developments are crucial. As teams prepare to recruit talent in what is sure to be one of the most active free agency markets in recent memory, the promise of a top-tier professional environment could provide a competitive advantage.

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