For many professional athletes, starting a family can come with career uncertainty. In the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), that uncertainty has often included the possibility of being traded during pregnancy. A new league agreement is aiming to change that, offering stronger protections and a sense of stability for players navigating both motherhood and their careers.
For many players, job security in professional sports is closely tied to team decisions made off the court—one of the most significant being trades. In the WNBA, as in other leagues, a trade allows teams to exchange players to adjust rosters, improve performance, or manage contracts. While it’s a routine part of the business, being traded can mean sudden relocation, new team dynamics, and major life adjustments.
HOW THE game changed
Under the WNBA’s new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), teams are required to obtain a player’s consent before trading her if she is pregnant. This provision effectively grants pregnant players a limited no-trade protection, ensuring greater stability and support during an important period in their lives.
Within the agreement, WNBPA President and 10-time All-Star Nneka Ogwumike explained the reasoning behind this decision.
“We’ve always believed that as this league grows, the players who power it must grow with it, and we’re proud to see that belief shared,” Ogwumike said. “We love this game enough to push for what it can become, not just for ourselves, but for those who built this league and those who will carry it forward. This agreement reflects that shared commitment, with players owning their value and future alongside a league growing stronger because of it.”
According to JustNLife, the league introduced a no-trade protection known as the “Dearica Hamby Rule,” named after Dearica Hamby, who filed a discrimination lawsuit against the Las Vegas Aces after being traded while pregnant in 2023.
It’s important to note that this provision reflects a broader effort by the WNBA and its players’ union to strengthen protections for athletes balancing their professional careers with motherhood. By requiring player consent for trades during pregnancy, the league aims to prevent situations that could disrupt a player’s health, family stability, and support system. The rule also signals a cultural shift within professional sports, recognizing pregnancy not as a limitation, but as a circumstance deserving of respect, autonomy, and institutional support. Together, these changes underscore a growing commitment to player welfare and equity across the league.
An ESPN article reports that the WNBA’s new collective bargaining agreement also introduces several major improvements aimed at enhancing player compensation, working conditions, and overall league standards. These include meaningful revenue sharing, with players set to receive 20% of gross revenue; significant salary increases, ranging from a minimum of $270,000 to $1.4 million; and a team salary cap rising to $7 million (compared to $1.5 million in 2025). The agreement also codifies charter travel, expands mental health support by allowing players to be reimbursed up to $2,250 per season by 2027, and requires teams to meet upgraded practice facility standards by 2028, including private medical and treatment rooms. Additional changes include guaranteed roster sizes of 12 players, with up to two developmental players allowed, enhanced performance-based incentives, increased transparency and communication around officiating, a compromise on core designation rules that balances team retention with player freedom, and improvements to scheduling for better overall player experience.
leveling up the league
Whether you’re into basketball or not, it’s important to recognize that this agreement represents more than just a shift in sports—it signals meaningful progress for women’s rights and bodily autonomy. The WNBA’s new CBA reflects a growing understanding that athletes are not only competitors, but individuals whose health, family lives, and personal decisions deserve respect and protection. Policies like pregnancy-based trade consent and expanded health benefits show what it looks like when an organization takes intentional steps toward equity, setting a precedent that extends far beyond the court.
At the same time, this progress is not the finish line. The principles behind these changes, including fair treatment, autonomy, and workplace support, still need to be expanded across industries where many women continue to face similar challenges without the same protections. From corporate offices to hourly workplaces, the conversation around pregnancy, healthcare access, and job security is far from over. The WNBA’s efforts highlight what’s possible, while serving as a reminder that lasting change requires continued advocacy, broader policy reform, and a commitment to ensuring these rights are not the exception, but the standard.