WNBPA and WNBA will not extend CBA
deadline; sides will continue to negotiate 'in good faith'
[January 09, 2026]
By DOUG FEINBERG
NEW YORK (AP) — The WNBA and its players' union will not agree to
another collective bargaining agreement extension after the current
deadline passes Friday night, WNBPA vice president Breanna Stewart
said.
That does not mean players will strike or the league will lock them
out. Stewart told reporters Thursday at an Unrivaled practice that
the players would continue to negotiate in good faith.
With the deadline just before midnight Friday night, the league
wouldn't confirm that the two sides won't reach an extension. A WNBA
spokesman did say the league would “continue to negotiate in good
faith with the goal of reaching a deal as quickly as possible.”
“Our focus remains on reaching an agreement that significantly
increases player compensation while ensuring the long-term growth of
the business,” a league spokesperson said.
The league and the players have had two previous extensions and have
met several times this week. Any stalled negotiations could delay
the start of the 2026 season. The last CBA was announced in the
middle of January 2020, a month after it had been agreed to.
It could easily take two months from when a new CBA is reached to
get to the start of free agency, which was supposed to begin later
this month.
While a strike or lockout isn't imminent, both sides could change
their viewpoints.
Stewart said calling a strike is “not something that we’re going to
do right this second, but we have that in our back pocket.” The
league hasn't been considering a lockout, according to a person
familiar with the decision. The person spoke to The Associated Press
on condition of anonymity Thursday because of the sensitive nature
of the negotiations.
As of Thursday, the sides remained far apart on many key issues,
including salary and revenue sharing, and it seems unlikely a deal
could have been reached before Friday's deadline.
Revenue sharing a sticking point in talks
The league’s most recent offer last month would guarantee a maximum
base salary of $1 million in 2026 that could reach $1.3 million
through revenue sharing. That’s up from the current $249,000 and
could grow to nearly $2 million over the life of the agreement, a
person with knowledge of the negotiations told the AP. The person
spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of
the negotiations.
Under the league's proposal, players would receive in excess of 70%
of net revenue — though that would be their take of the profits
after expenses are paid. Those expenses would include upgraded
facilities, charter flights, five-star hotels, medical services,
security and arenas.
The average salary in 2026 would be more than $530,000, up from its
current $120,000, and grow to more than $770,000 over the life of
the agreement. The minimum salary would grow from its current
$67,000 to more than $250,000 in the first year, the person told the
AP.
The proposal would also financially pay star young players like
Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers, who are all still on
their rookie contracts, nearly double the league minimum.
Revenue sharing is one of the major sticking points in the
negotiations.
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The union's counter proposal to the league would
give players around 30% of the gross revenue. The player's
percentage would be from money generated before expenses for the
first year and teams would have a $10.5 million salary cap to sign
players. Under the union's proposal, the revenue sharing percent
would go up slightly each year.
Union wants expansion fees included; league
saying no
The union feels that the $750 million in expansion fees that the
league just received with the addition of Cleveland, Detroit and
Philadelphia by 2030 should be considered revenue and included in
projections. The league says that the money actually goes to all the
current teams that were in place before expansion to make up for the
future money they’ll be losing by dividing the total revenue by more
franchises.
Other major sports leagues like the NBA, NHL and NFL don't include
expansion fees in their revenue-sharing structures. Major League
Baseball's salary structure is not tied to its revenue, so expansion
fees don't matter.
League wants players to pay for own housing
The league has proposed making players pay for their housing instead
of having teams continue to incur the costs. With the potential new
minimum salary over $250,000, the WNBA has said that like most every
other pro league, players should pay for their own housing.
The union's stance is that teams should continue to pay for players'
housing.
Why stalled negotiations could delay the season
An extended delay in getting a deal done could cause a number of
problems, specifically getting the season started on time or even
played for several reasons. There are several factors that indicate
that time is near:
— Free agency
With nearly all the veteran players free agents this offseason, this
will be the biggest year in the league's history as far as potential
movement. Free agency was supposed to start later this month.
However, once a new CBA is reached, it could take both parties two
months to get free agency started.
— Revenue-generating events could be delayed
The release of the schedule has been delayed because of the lack of
a new CBA. In the past, the league has tried to get it out before
the holidays so teams can sell tickets. With so many players
potentially changing teams as free agents, new merchandise wouldn't
be able to be sold.
— Expansion draft
With Portland and Toronto entering the league this year, an
expansion draft has to be held for the two new teams. Last year when
Golden State came into the WNBA, a draft was held in December.
Current teams need to figure out who they will be protecting from
being selected in the draft, and that is made more complicated due
to all the free agents.
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