WNBA CBA Talks Tighten As Deadline Looms

A Stalemate With Real Consequences

As the WNBA offseason rolls forward, the biggest story in the league isn’t a trade or a draft pick, it’s the ongoing collective bargaining agreement negotiations between the league and the players association. With the major offseason events to still take place and opening night set for early May, time is starting to run short.

The league has proposed a March 10 deadline to reach a framework agreement. If that date passes without progress, officials have warned that the 2026 schedule could begin to change, including delays to free agency, expansion drafts, and preseason preparations.

Negotiations have already slowed key offseason business. Free agency activity has been largely frozen while both sides try to determine what the next financial system will look like.

WNBA Players Make New Concessions

The players association made another move this week by submitting a revised proposal that lowered its revenue sharing request.

The union is now seeking roughly 26% of gross league revenue, down from earlier proposals and representing a financial concession. While the league still sits on the net revenue model.

The proposal includes a salary cap which still remains well debated as well.

Players also adjusted their position on issues like housing benefits and developmental roster rules in an effort to move negotiations forward.

Despite those concessions, the two sides remain far apart.

Gross Revenue vs Net Revenue

The biggest sticking point remains how revenue sharing should be calculated.

Players want a percentage of gross revenue, meaning income before expenses are deducted. The league instead prefers a system based on net revenue, which factors in operational costs.

The league’s current proposal would give players about 70% of net revenue, which equals less than 15% of gross revenue.

League officials have argued that the players’ proposal could lead to significant financial losses for teams, while players counter that the league’s recent growth justifies a larger share.

Right now, neither side appears ready to give in on the fundamental structure of the deal.

What Happens If March 10 Passes?

The March 10 target date is less about a hard shutdown and more about practicality.

Even if the sides reach a verbal agreement by then, ratification could take weeks and would compress a packed offseason calendar that includes expansion drafts, free agency, and the college draft.

If no agreement is reached, the league may have to begin adjusting the schedule.

That could include:

• Delayed free agency

• Compressed preseason timelines

• Roster building challenges

• Possible season delays

With training camp only a bit away, negotiations are entering crunch time.

Like a fourth quarter game with the clock winding down, both sides know a deal has to come soon, the only question is whether it happens before the buzzer.

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