WNBA: Engelbert Optimistic About New Lucrative and Fair CBA

WNBA: CBA Negotiations in the Spotlight

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert expressed her optimism about a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) that will benefit the league and the players with a “much more lucrative” revenue-sharing model. The CBA negotiations have been a central topic during this week’s All-Star festivities. More than 40 players participated in a meeting between the union and the league on Thursday, which some described as a missed opportunity to advance the conversations before the CBA expires at the end of October. Breanna Stewart, two-time MVP, mentioned that revenue sharing is an area where the players and the league disagree. Shortly after Engelbert’s comments, the players wore warm-up jerseys before the All-Star Game with the phrase “Pay us what you owe us”. Engelbert commented that the league is considering different ways to share revenue and that the WNBA is in a very different position than it was when its current model, adopted in early 2020, was determined.

We want the same thing as the players. We want to significantly increase their salaries and benefits, while balancing our owners’ ability to make a profit, as well as continued investment.

Cathy Engelbert, WNBA Commissioner

Engelbert described Thursday’s negotiations between the league and the players’ union as “constructive” and reiterated his confidence that both sides can reach a “transformative” agreement. The commissioner also addressed other important issues:

• The league is still working on the rules for a two-team expansion draft for the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire, the 14th and 15th teams that will begin playing in 2026. Engelbert said those rules will be collectively bargained and the hope is to finalize the CBA, then hold the expansion draft and free agency in that order.

• Engelbert said the league hears concerns across the WNBA about inconsistent and, in some cases, poor officiating, and said that “it’s something we need to keep working on. And as our game has evolved, so does our officiating. So we’re on it… All sports deal with that, but we’re working hard to make sure we’re delivering the best product on the court and that our officiating follows suit.”

• The league is exploring what the season’s footprint should be in the future, taking into account the league’s “hypergrowth”, expansion, and the importance of international competitions, mainly the Olympic Games and the FIBA World Cup, which it wants to support. Due to the World Cup next September, the 2026 season is likely to extend into early November, but in general, Engelbert expects each season to end by mid-October.

• Despite the high-profile injuries this season, including Caitlin Clark’s, Engelbert insists that the league’s data does not show a significant increase in injuries in the same number of games as last year.

• The league is considering different ideas and formats for future All-Star Games, particularly to make Friday’s events, currently the skills challenge and the three-point contest, more solid.