The WNBA’s new CBA is already showcasing its consequences. Teams are raising salaries to retain marquee players. But amid all of this, a senior journalist feels that the new CBA also has a broader global impact on women’s basketball.
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Speaking on the No Offseason Podcast, journalist Anna Costabille outlined the global changes the international WBB circuit is seeing following the new CBA.
“Now that the money has shifted, we are seeing players that view it as a worthwhile commitment, a worthwhile jump to make, and understandably so,” Costabille said. “I mean, this CBA changed everything. The salary jump is historic for a reason. Like, that’s going to continue to impact players’ interest.”
The growing influx of foreign players in the WNBA is quite prevalent this season. For instance, the league shared a report a few weeks back stating that nearly 51 non-American players have played at least one game this season. It’s the highest in league history, exceeding the 50 set back in 2001.
And it’s not surprising. With the money franchises are paying players after the $7M salary cap increase, the league will attract even more overseas players. Numerous foreign players, like Ezi Magbegor and Alanna Smith, are earning over $1M this season.
Foreign players are abandoning comfort zones for WNBA paychecks. The math is simple: $1M+ in the W beats overseas contracts. Furthermore, the advantages of the new CBA for foreign players don’t just end there. Under the new agreement’s housing provisions, the players will also receive housing benefits.
As more foreign players enter the league, the number of US players moving to play overseas will gradually decline. Most players in those leagues aspire to earn money on top of their preexisting WNBA contracts. But now, they’re earning more from their teams in the W.
There’s more: Unrivaled is available to players in America as well. The 3-on-3 league pays well in the offseason, and top players like Paige Bueckers and Aliyah Boston compete in the tournament.
As a result, it’s not in the players’ interest to go overseas and compete through international stints just to secure bigger paychecks when they can do so in their home country. Anna Costabille also shed light on this trend during the conversation.
“The money aspect also impacts the contracts that players are signing overseas,” Costabille added. “We’ve seen these superstar players slowly start to trickle away from overseas play. Like most of them are staying Stateside. But there are still a number of WNBA-caliber players who are signing contracts overseas.
“But the shift again that’s happening is what I’ve been told by sources who are involved in these types of negotiations, and these contracts overseas are like we’re going to see players signing more one-year deals. Like, a player signing a multi-year deal with an overseas club is not going to be common anymore because of the money that exists in the WNBA,” she continued.
It isn’t just Anna Costabille who’s echoing this assessment. WNBPA President Nneka Ogwumike also hinted at prioritizing the league that pays the players more. “If there is a league that is paying you more, you would prioritize that league, you would think,” she said.
In the 2026 WNBA season, the league will also see aspiring overseas rookies like Awa Fam. They will look to establish themselves as rookies and earn starting roles to secure lucrative contracts. Now, another senior journalist has shared an even better roadmap to attain it.
WBB Journalist Cites the NCAA as a Better Option for a Certain Section of Foreign Players Who Want to Come to the WNBA
For many years now, the NCAA has been the major pipeline for the WNBA. Teams like UConn and South Carolina have consistently given the league some of their most coveted stars over the years. The Athletic journalist Sabreena Merchant spoke on this.
She explained that some players who don’t play in prominent European leagues, such as those in Spain or France, can benefit from playing college basketball in the NCAA.
“The Spanish league is very well thought of,” Merchant said. “The French league is very well thought of, but there are other leagues in Europe where maybe it is better to come to the NCAA. If that’s where you are playing and the type of development and competition that you would face there might be better than some of those leagues.”
From a broader perspective, the assessment makes sense. The NCAA might not fully reflect the WNBA, as the physicality factor stands out more in the latter. But the foreign players can get experience playing in the US.
It can help them make the transition a little bit easier. Furthermore, they can also learn the style of play and the tactics that are majorly prevalent in the country, giving them a slight edge when they start practicing with a pro league.
With a new CBA and salary structure in place, it’s clear that more and more overseas players will try to enter the WNBA. And subsequently, if they want to go through the entire full-fledged process as most US players do, the NCAA circuit remains a viable option.
