New York ? The WNBA settled its labor troubles and got back to basketball.

Friday’s down-to-the-wire agreement meant the league could start its seventh season May 22 and proceed with its draft, with Cleveland selecting LaToya Thomas of Mississippi State as the overall No. 1.

Hours earlier, about 3 a.m., the WNBA and its players’ union signed a four-year collective bargaining agreement, with a league option for a fifth. Among the key features is free agency — the first in women’s pro sports — and a hard salary cap.

NBA commissioner David Stern threatened to cancel the WNBA’s season if a deal not been reached.

“The last couple of weeks weren’t without their share of drama,” WNBA president Val Ackerman said. “It was very involved, and in some ways, the deadline catalyzed the discussion.”

The league has had its share of troubles this offseason. The Miami and Portland franchises were shut down and two others moved — the Utah team to San Antonio, and Orlando to a casino in Uncasville, Conn.

Attendance, which averaged about 9,000 last year, has fallen since 1998, and the NBA will have to pump $12 million into the league this year. The WNBA could not have afforded to have its season delayed or canceled.

The deal guarantees an increase of 4 percent a year in the amount that teams will spend on salaries, totaling more than 17 percent over four years.

In the first year, minimum salaries for veterans will increase 5 percent, from $40,000 to $42,000, and the rookie minimum remains at $30,000.