The WNBA and its players association have reached a new collective bargaining agreement, one that many say could reshape the future of women’s sports.

The momentum was already building.

Before the announcement, The league was already set to expand to 18 teams by 2030, with new franchises launching in Toronto and Portland this year, followed by Cleveland in 2028, and Detroit and Philadelphia in 2030.

Of course, player salaries are going up, but this seven-year deal goes far beyond pay.

The WNBA isn’t just adding teams, it’s adding games. The regular season could grow from 44 to as many as 50 games by 2027, and 52 games by 2029. 

And just as important, the agreement addresses what players call “cadence” or the pace of the schedule. It’ll add in new safeguards aimed at reducing long road stretches and improving travel demands.

Risa Isard is Director of Research and Insights at Parity. She joined The Metro to discuss why this deal is so crucial, and what means for the future of women’s professional sports. 

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Alissa Graff found out, despite the growing interest in women’s leagues, she would still need to fight for screen time if she wanted to watch women’s sports at her local bar. So, over the last year or so, Graf and others have taken things into their own hands—organizing watch party for women’s hockey, basketball and more.

Now she hopes to open her own sports bar called Bar IX. It’s a nod to the landmark Title IX amendment that, among many things, expanded women’s access in education and sports. 

Alissa Graff joined the program to talk about starting Bar IX and this moment in women’s sports. 

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on demand.

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

More stories from The Metro