Intense Negotiations in the WNBA: Deadline Approaches for New Collective Bargaining Agreement
Thanksgiving week is usually a time for rest and reflection, but in midtown New York, the WNBA and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) are immersed in intense negotiations. The goal is to reach a new collective bargaining agreement before the deadline. The current agreement expires on Sunday, after both parties agreed to a 30-day extension at the end of October. Although negotiations could extend into December, time is of the essence. The offseason presents a tight schedule, including an expansion draft for two teams and a crucial free agency period.Proposals and Reactions: What Do the Players Think?
Recently, it was revealed that the WNBA proposed an agreement that, in combination with the base salary, would allow players to reach a maximum salary of over $1.1 million. The average salary would be over $460,000, with a minimum of over $220,000.After consulting players from across the league, a consensus emerged: there is still work to be done to secure the revenue sharing system that the players have been defending. Some players called the league’s proposal a “slap in the face” and “frustrating”.The WNBPA does not see this proposal as a significant step forward.
Sources close to the negotiation
While the proposal includes significant salary increases, the WNBPA believes it does not guarantee that the salary cap and player salaries will grow sufficiently with the business, a key demand since they opted not to renew the current agreement in October 2024.
Contents
Intense Negotiations in the WNBA: Deadline Approaches for New Collective Bargaining AgreementProposals and Reactions: What Do the Players Think?What is the Current Status of the Negotiations?Expansion Draft: Uncertainty and PreparationsPriorities at the Negotiation TableThe Impact of Alternative LeaguesWNBA Draft EligibilityOverview
What is the Current Status of the Negotiations?
Despite the Thanksgiving holiday, the league and the WNBPA have exchanged updated proposals and plan to meet throughout the week and weekend, before the Sunday deadline. They could agree to another extension, but even if they don’t, a cessation of activities would not automatically occur. They could continue negotiating under a “status quo” agreement, where the conditions of the current agreement would remain in effect. However, the lack of an extension could open the door to a strike (initiated by the players) or a lockout (initiated by the owners).Expansion Draft: Uncertainty and Preparations
The expansion draft for the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo teams, which will debut in 2026, has been affected by delays in collective bargaining negotiations. Both teams are trying to prepare, but are facing more questions than answers. Last year, the Golden State Valkyries received their expansion draft format a month before the date. For Portland and Toronto, the situation is uncertain, which complicates their strategy. It is expected that the expansion draft will be modeled similarly to that of 2000, when existing teams were allowed to protect five players. It is anticipated that Toronto and Portland will only be able to select one free agent each, although this has not yet been confirmed. With approximately 85% of current players as free agents this winter, the decision of who to select becomes complex. WNBA free agency usually begins on January 11, with contract signings starting February 1 and the season beginning in May. Given the uncertainty, they are preparing for an accelerated schedule, with the possibility of the expansion draft, free agency, and the college draft being held between March and early April.Priorities at the Negotiation Table
The salary structure and revenue sharing remain the focus of negotiation. In addition to salary increases, the players are seeking to establish minimum professional standards in facilities and codify the league’s charter travel program. The league seeks to substantially increase salaries and other costs, encouraging owners to continue investing in the business. The expansion of retirement and family planning benefits is also a priority for the players. The prioritization rule, which requires WNBA players competing in other leagues to report on time for WNBA training camp, is another relevant issue. Owners are unlikely to want to relax these rules. The players have also expressed their desire to weaken or abolish the “core” system, similar to the NFL’s franchise tag. The league is reluctant to completely give it up, as it allows teams to develop and retain talent, creating a competitive leveling effect. The salary cap and the roster limits of 12 players are also topics of discussion. WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has said that the league prefers expansion as a way to grow rather than adding roster spots, while the league prefers not to relax the cap, as it believes that some teams spending significantly more would create an uneven playing field. Another issue to resolve is the number of matches and future scheduling. A maximum of 44 matches were allowed in the current agreement, and although the league cannot always maintain the same structure due to international competitions, Engelbert has said that the league would like to try to stick to May-October, with some overlap in November as needed.The Impact of Alternative Leagues
WNBA players have competed in other leagues, historically at the international level, since the league’s inception. However, the domestic landscape changed dramatically last year with the launch of Unrivaled, a 3-on-3 league founded by Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier. Unrivaled is presented as an alternative for players who want to supplement their off-season income from the WNBA, and league staff have said that it does not intend to be a competitor to the WNBA. However, some players have indicated that they hope Unrivaled, with its high salaries and excellent services for players, will put pressure on the WNBA during this round of collective bargaining negotiations. Unrivaled offered the players shares last year and, in the future, intends to provide an average salary of $200,000, which the league claims is the highest average salary in women’s professional team sports. In recent weeks, a new league called Project B announced its intention to debut in November 2026 and operate until April 2027, with Nneka Ogwumike, Alyssa Thomas, Jonquel Jones, and Jewell Loyd among its first public signatories. The league’s model features 66 players playing in an international circuit in Europe and Asia, similar to a Formula 1 format. In addition to having shares in the players, it is reported that their salaries reach seven figures, exceeding what both the WNBA and Unrivaled offer (whose schedule directly conflicts with that of Project B). Like Unrivaled, Project B says it is not a competing league to the WNBA. While prioritization rules ensure WNBA players arrive at training camp on time, the league has no plans to seek exclusivity—meaning its players would only play in the WNBA and nowhere else in the offseason—during this round of negotiations, a source said.WNBA Draft Eligibility
The start of the college season has evoked a familiar question for basketball fans: Should the WNBA change its draft eligibility rules? Unlike the “one-and-done” rule in the NBA, players must be 22 years old in the calendar year of the WNBA draft to be eligible (unless they have graduated earlier). International players must turn 20 during the draft calendar year to be eligible.
A source reported that draft eligibility has not been a significant topic of discussion in the negotiations so far.Overview
The WNBA is at a crucial moment, with the future of the collective bargaining agreement and the development of the league at stake. Negotiations continue, and time is running out before the November 30 deadline.
