WNBA: 40-day extension to the CBA to negotiate a new salary agreement

WNBA and Players Association Extend Labor Agreement

The WNBA and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) have agreed to an extension of the current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) until January 9. The announcement was made on Sunday night, as both parties seek to continue negotiations for a new agreement. The agreement contemplates the option for either party to terminate the extension with 48 hours’ notice. Both sides reached this agreement shortly before the deadline of Sunday at 11:59 p.m. ET. According to sources, the union proposed a six-week extension after initially discussing a 24-hour extension, while the league advocated for a 21-day extension.

We expect a substantial move from the league within this timeframe.

Union Statement

Last month, the union and the league had already extended the initial deadline of October 31st by 30 days.

The WNBA and the WNBPA continue to work on a new agreement.

League Statement

This decision comes at a time when both sides appear to be distanced in negotiations, especially regarding the salary structure and revenue sharing systems. According to a report from November 18, the WNBA proposed a deal that included significant salary increases, as well as a revenue-sharing component, offering a total of more than $1.1 million to players with the maximum salary and more than $220,000 to those with the minimum. The league’s minimum salary was $66,079 in 2025 and its supermax was $249,244. However, the WNBPA and its players were not moved by the proposal, as they felt it did not include a system in which the salary cap, and therefore the players’ salaries, would grow enough with the business, as in the NBA, where the salary cap is determined directly by basketball-related income (BRI). The players no longer want a salary cap that, in their opinion, is chosen arbitrarily ($1,507,100 in 2025) and grows at a fixed rate (3% each year according to the current CBA). 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 have sent updated proposals and met frequently, including on Sunday. Other priorities that the players are pushing for include establishing minimum professional standards in facilities, codifying the league’s charter travel program, and expanding retirement and family planning/pregnancy benefits. The league has said it wants to substantially increase player salaries and other cost commitments, while incentivizing owners to continue investing in the operation of the business. The WNBA’s rapid growth in recent years offers an opportunity for the business to move from operating at a loss to, as the league hopes, building sustained profitability.