New WNBA CBA details emerge post-verbal deal

We’re teaming up with Lisa Leslie for a one-of-a-kind event at this year’s women’s Final Four. Come hang.

WNBA CBA details emerge after verbal deal

The WNBA’s once-cloudy future is clearing up, as details surrounding Wednesday’s CBA deal continue to emerge after days of marathon negotiations.

• ESPN reported this season’s salary cap will start at $7 million, with a league minimum of $300,000, supermax contracts starting at $1.4 million, salaries averaging around $600,000 across the league — up from $120,000 in 2025.

• As for revenue sharing — a wedge issue throughout the talks — the players will receive nearly 20% of gross revenue over the CBA’s seven-year span.

• Current rookie contracts will also scale to the new rookie rates, with the lowest salaries upgraded to at least $300,000. (See full report)

Time’s ticking: Now the real work begins, as the league scrambles to execute a two-team expansion draft, college draft, and free agency period before preseason tips off on April 19th.

• The Las Vegas Review Journal reported that the Aces are set to offer 2025 MVP A’ja Wilson a supermax deal as soon as possible, taking one big name off the free agency market.

Ripple effect: “What we just accomplished is going to change the lives of so many players,” Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark said this week. “That’s what we set out [to do] from the beginning, was making sure every player felt the change in the CBA, and that’s exactly what has happened.”

Nebraska punches its ticket to the Big Dance

Nebraska and Missouri State are going dancing, as the No. 11 seed Huskers and No. 16 seed Bears punched their March Madness tickets with Wednesday’s First Four wins.

• Nebraska topped mid-major standout Richmond 75-56, before Missouri State downed Stephen F. Austin 85-75 behind guard Kaemyn Bekemeier’s 22 points.

• “As a senior, there’s definitely a sense of urgency that I want to fight for more games with these girls,” said Huskers guard Callin Hake. “I think we did exactly that today.” (Watch full highlights)

Up next: The First Four wraps up tonight ahead of Friday’s first-round tipoff — though one team fighting for qualification could find itself short-handed.

• No. 10 seed Arizona State’s head coach Molly Miller might miss tonight’s clash with fellow 10-seed Virginia due to illness, after the first-year boss sat out Wednesday’s travel.

• No. 16 seeds Samford and Southern will also square off, battling for a date with No. 1 seed South Carolina. (See full bracket)

Tune in: The First Four continues tonight at 7 PM ET, live on ESPN2.

UConn duo headlines 2026 AP All-Americans

No. 1 seed UConn is riding even higher, as stars Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong made history this week by becoming the first teammates to earn AP All-American first team honors since 2020.

• The seventh Husky duo to share the distinction, Strong and Fudd are joined by Vanderbilt’s Mikayla Blakes, UCLA’s Lauren Betts, and Texas’s Madison Booker.

• “I’m happy for them individually, but I know it means a lot for them to get this accomplishment together as well,” UConn head coach Geno Auriemma said of his All-American pair.

Big picture: The AP also named second and third team All-Americans, tapping former teammates Hannah Hidalgo (Notre Dame) and Olivia Miles (TCU) alongside Jaloni Cambridge (Ohio State), Audi Crooks (Iowa State), and Joyce Edwards (South Carolina).

• Flau’jae Johnson (LSU), Olivia Olson (Michigan), Kiki Rice (UCLA), Toby Fournier (Duke), and Raven Johnson (South Carolina) rounded out the third team, while Clara Strack (Kentucky), Rori Harmon (Texas), and Cotie McMahon (Ole Miss) earned honorable mentions. (See full list)

JWS’s all-new basketball show is back, as Court Vision presented by Planet Fitness showcases WNBA icon Angel McCoughtry and analyst Ros Gold-Onwude tackling women’s basketball’s biggest headlines, from college to the pros to the broader forces shaping today’s game.

• In this week’s episode, Ros and Angel react to Sunday’s NCAA tournament bracket reveal, diving into the toughest paths, top teams, and potential Cinderella stories as March Madness gets underway.

• “I do want to call out Arizona State,” Ros said, claiming her dark horse. “Their head coach, Molly Miller, is somebody that everyone in the program is really excited about. This is her first season at Arizona State, and already they have a 14-win turnaround from last season. And counting.”

Tune in: Check out Court Vision on YouTube.

Major League Volleyball Drops 2026 All-Star Roster

Major League Volleyball’s finest are taking over Orlando, as MLV dropped its 2026 All-Star Match rosters ahead of the March 28th event.

• The two 12-player squads spotlight standouts across MLV's eight teams, with league-leader Indy sending a game-high five players, followed by second-place Dallas and defending champion Orlando with four each.

• Indy Ignite’s Elena Scott topped the more than 12,000-strong fan vote — a new league record — joining Louisville coach Dan Meske’s Team Meske as they take on former Utah boss Beth Launiere’s Team Launiere. (See full rosters)

Back at it: Eight 2025 All-Stars are returning to the court, including last season’s Libero of the Year Morgan Hentz, Outside Hitter of the Year Brooke Nuneviller, and Most Inspirational Player Shara Venegas.

• “In Orlando, fans will see the spirit of our athletes and the fierce competitiveness that defines that this is the major leagues,” said recently named first-ever MLV commissioner Jaime Weston.

Don’t miss it: The 2026 MLV All-Star Match kicks off on March 28th at 12 PM ET, live on CBS. (Get tune-in reminder)

Stars pump the brakes on Northwestern stadium move

The Stars are still searching for a permanent home, as Chicago put its plan to move to Northwestern’s new Ryan Field on ice this week after local pushback.

• “Our goal has always been one of unity,” the team said in a statement. “We believe that this is what Evanston residents seek as well, but have also heard a call for more dialogue and understanding about who we are and the impact our presence will have on the community.” (Read full release)

How it happened: Chicago moved this season’s action from SeatGeek Stadium to Northwestern’s temporary Martin Stadium, but recently applied to relocate 15 to 17 future games to Ryan Field starting in 2027.

• The Stars saw opposition from area politicians and resident advocacy groups voicing concerns about the new stadium hosting any non-university programming.

Up next: Chicago will welcome fans to Martin Stadium for the first time in Sunday’s home opener, as the Stars host Kansas City at 2:15 PM ET (ESPN).

Quote of the day

StudBudz Courtney Williams & Natisha Hiedeman
reacting to the WNBA’s new salary cap boost after this week’s verbal CBA deal.