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Negotiations between the WNBA league office and the players’ association for the next Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) seem to be at a stalemate, as recent reports have indicated that both sides are far apart regarding the newest proposal that has been sent by the league.
There’s still time for a deal to be done before the January 9 deadline, and if a new deal isn’t ratified by then, the deadline could be extended for a third time. However, this would mean that free agency and the two Expansion Drafts that are necessary would be delayed, which could then impact the 2026 WNBA season.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver (who is technically WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert’s boss, given the NBA’s significant ownership stake in the WNBA) spoke about the ongoing negotiations on December 16, saying, “We’re available to do whatever is necessary to help get a deal done. I’m encouraged by the fact that they extended the deadline once again… I’m tracking things very closely. We’re integrated at the league office. I talk to the people who are at the negotiating table on a daily basis,” per an X post from @ohnohedidnt24.
“We acknowledge that our players deserve to be paid significantly more than they have so far based on the increased success of the league. And it’s just a question now of finding a meeting of the minds in terms of what is a fair deal. It’s gonna require compromise on both sides,” he continued.
“I remain optimistic we’ll get something done. But whether that means I’m physically sitting at the table for the negotiation… It remains a very high priority for me, even if I’m not at the table, to get an agreement done, and get one done as quickly as possible,” Silver concluded.
Breanna Stewart Suggests Adam Silver Step In as WNBA CBA Tensions Rise
Breanna Stewart (who is the vice president on the WNBPA’s executive committee) spoke with the media on December 17 and responded to Silver’s comments.
“More often than not, we’re the ones that are willing to compromise and they still aren’t budging. So if they’re not going to budge, we’re going to get to this point where we’re just going to be at a standoff. That’s kind of where we’re at right now,” Stewart said, per a December 17 article from USA Today.
“We know how important as players it is to play and to be on the court,” Stewart added. “But at the same time, if we’re not going to be valued the way that we know we should be, in the way that every kind of number situation tells us, then we’re just not going to do something that doesn’t make sense for us.”
“Everybody can agree and get what they want out of this, but there has to be some … things in common happening first. So yeah, if Adam wants to come, I would love to have him,” she continued.
WNBPA Vice-President, Breanna Stewart, on Adam Silver and Mark Tatum joining the players’ union-WNBA CBA negotiations table:
“Adam and Mark need to come to the table, we’re more than happy to have that”
— Ojus Verma (@Verma_Ojus023) December 18, 2025
Hopefully negotiations don’t reach a point to where Silver has no choice but step in.
