The Las Vegas Aces are entering a pivotal offseason after the WNBA and its players’ union reached a tentative agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement early Wednesday. The deal, finalized after eight days of negotiations in New York, ends a 17-month period since players opted out of the previous CBA in October 2024 and lifts a moratorium on league business that had frozen free agency since January.
The Aces’ front office now faces a compressed timeline to retain their core. The team’s top priority is signing four-time MVP A’ja Wilson to the league’s new supermax contract, which will rise from $249,000 in 2025 to $1.4 million in 2026. Wilson, who has taken team-friendly deals during the Aces’ three titles in four years, is set to become a free agent after signing a two-year, $200,000-per-year extension in 2023. She was among roughly 80 percent of players who avoided signing past 2025 in anticipation of the new CBA, including every Aces player from their 2025 championship run except rookie Aaliyah Nye.
The new agreement brings a dramatic salary cap increase from $1.5 million in 2025 to $7 million in 2026, giving the Aces more flexibility to build their roster. The average salary will reach $600,000, up from $120,000, and the minimum salary will exceed $300,000, compared to $66,079 in 2025. A new revenue-sharing model, a major sticking point in negotiations, will also benefit players.
Key offseason dates are expected to be announced soon. The WNBA has set expansion drafts for the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo from April 1 to 6, allowing those teams to build rosters from existing teams. The Aces have been preparing for how these drafts might affect their roster, though they still lack details on protection rules. Free agency is estimated to run from April 7 to 18, with qualifying offers and core designations on April 7-8, negotiations April 9-11, and a signing window April 12-18.
Despite the delayed CBA, the season is not affected. The May 8 tipoff date remains unchanged, and training camps will start April 19 as scheduled. The Aces open May 9 against the Phoenix Mercury at T-Mobile Arena, which will serve as ring night, and will raise their championship banner May 23 at Michelob Ultra Arena against the Los Angeles Sparks.
