WNBA and Players Association Extend Collective Bargaining Agreement
The WNBA and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) have reached an agreement to extend the current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) until January 9, 2026. This decision is made while negotiations for a new agreement continue. The agreement includes a clause that allows either party to terminate the extension with 48 hours’ notice. Both sides agreed to the extension just before the deadline of Sunday at 11:59 p.m. ET. The union proposed a six-week extension after initially discussing a 24-hour extension, while the league was seeking a 21-day extension.This move comes after the two sides appeared to maintain distanced positions in the negotiations, especially with regard to the salary structure and revenue sharing systems. The WNBA proposed a deal that included significant salary increases and a revenue-sharing component, offering players a maximum of over $1.1 million and a minimum of over $220,000. The league’s minimum salary was $66,079 in 2025 and its supermax was $249,244. However, the WNBPA and the players were not satisfied with the proposal, as they felt it did not include a system where the salary cap, and therefore the players’ salaries, would grow sufficiently with the business, as it does in the NBA. The current agreement also has a separate revenue-sharing provision that grants direct payments to players if the league reaches certain revenue targets (this has not yet happened, largely due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic). Since the league’s proposal was leaked, the WNBA and the union exchanged updated proposals and met frequently, including on Sunday. Other priorities that the players are pushing for include establishing minimum professional standards at facilities, codifying the league’s charter travel program, and expanding retirement and family planning benefits. The league has expressed its desire to substantially increase players’ salaries and other cost commitments, while incentivizing owners to continue investing in the management of the business. The WNBA’s rapid growth in recent years offers the opportunity for the business to move from operating at a loss to, as the league hopes, building sustained profitability.“The WNBA and the WNBPA continue to work towards a new agreement,” the league stated in its statement on Sunday night.
WNBA Statement
