Revenue share talks ongoing at Monday deadline

On Friday, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert set a preferred CBA deadline for Monday, March 16.

That day has arrived.

All eyes turn to Engelbert, the league and its players’ union as marathon CBA talks enter into a seventh consecutive day. A source with knowledge of the situation confirmed to USA TODAY Sports that both sides met on Sunday, March 15, in New York. Multiple reports also confirm that the WNBA and WNBPA started talks around noon ET and extended into the 3 a.m. ET hour on Monday morning. The two sides are expected to meet again on Monday, marking more than 72 hours of face-to-face talks.

Engelbert recently spoke with on-site media to share an update amidst pivotal conversations. The commissioner reiterated that both sides would continue to work to get a deal done, describing the forthcoming CBA as “historic.”

“We’re working as hard as we can to get it done as quickly as possible,” Engelbert said, per an Associated Press report. “It’s complex. There’s a lot. There’s a lot of system elements. There’s a lot of structure elements. … This is a big, big league, and we want to do everything we can for the players. So, we’re going to keep making progress.”

WOMEN’S SPORTS: The latest news and insider insights from USA TODAY Studio IX.

During weekend discussions, housing and revenue share continued to be points of emphasis between the WNBA and WNBPA. According to Engelbert, the hope is that if those items can be agreed upon and included in a CBA agreement by Monday or “24 to 48 hours later,” the 2026 season could still start on time. However, Engelbert reportedly admitted that if a deal isn’t completed soon, she was unsure if training camp would still start on April 19.

“I wish I knew the answer to that. I do not know the answer to that,” said Engelbert. “But you see us here at three in the morning, four in the morning, at five in the morning. So that gives an indication that both sides are motivated at that time.”

Natasha Cloud speaks on negotiations with the WNBA

Natasha Cloud, who has previously been vocal about CBA negotiations, took to Threads to share her thoughts on the current state of talks.

“Thankful to our Executive committee & @thewnbpa for their efforts over the last 2+ years of preparing us. ” Cloud wrote. “We’re gonna change the entire landscape of what respect & value looks like financially in women’s sports.”

Cloud also thanked the WNBA for its part in negotiations.

“[And] like thank you to the WNBA for finally [being] willing to negotiate,” Cloud said. “Lolol that tasted like vinegar to say publicly. Im just playin yall. We finna be friends again once we get paid.”

WNBPA gives update on when CBA term sheet could be signed

Per multiple reports, WNBPA executive director Terri Carmichael Jackson and WNBPA outside counsel Deb Willig spoke with on-site media amid Day 7 of marathon talks. Both Jackson and Willig both admit that “big issues” remain.

Willig mentioned that “progress ” had been made, and she “would hope” a CBA term sheet would be completed within the next “15 to 20 hours.” Still, she reportedly described negotiations as “unusual.”

“I think the why, frankly, is because the league underestimated, seriously, the resolve of the players & what they sought to achieve,” Willig said.

With varying estimates on when a term sheet could be signed, one source with knowledge of the negotiations shared with USA TODAY that they were “reluctant” to put a timeline on when one would be signed.

When is the WNBA CBA deadline?

The WNBA said Friday, March 13, a term sheet for a new CBA needed to be completed by Monday, March 16, to avoid delaying the start of the 2026 season. Opening day is scheduled for May 8.

“I’m not going to give anybody deadlines because, as I’ve been saying all along, you know, we wanted progress, we wanted bargaining in good faith, we wanted all of that,” WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said late Friday evening to reporters in New York. “Can things be 24 to 48 hours later than maybe a date that we put on a piece of paper just to get everybody understanding there is a basketball calendar here? Can things be 24 to 48 hours (late)? Sure. But not much more before you start to look at, you know, can we open training camp up, you know, that kind of stuff.”

What are the key issues between WNBA players and owners?

Revenue sharing and the salary cap remain the top sticking points. Here is where the two sides stand:

Revenue sharing: The WNBPA requested 25% of gross revenue in the first year, increasing over the life of the agreement to an average of roughly 26%. The WNBA is currently offering more than 70% of league and team net revenue.Salary cap: The union also proposed a salary cap of less than $9.5 million. As of March 12, the WNBA’s latest offer increases the Year 1 salary cap to $6.2 million, up from $1.5 million in 2025 – representing an increase of more than four times the 2025 cap.Base pay: The WNBA’s latest proposal also included a maximum base salary exceeding $1.3 million, with a projected revenue-sharing component. The league’s maximum salary would grow to nearly $2 million over the life of the agreement. The average salary would be $570,000 in Year 1 (up from $530,000 in previous proposals), growing to $850,000 over the life of the deal.

Will WNBA players go on strike?

Players voted in December 2025 to authorize the Women’s National Basketball Players Association’s Executive Committee to “call a strike when necessary.” The WNBPA said the strike authorization vote resulted in 98% yes votes with 93% participation among players.

In a private letter obtained by ESPN on Tuesday, March 3, Stewart and Plum warned a potential work stoppage would harm the league’s financial outlook. After the letter went public, the executive committee said a decision to strike “was not taken lightly.”

“Despite our differences and tough moments, we must make crystal clear that we are focused, we are resolute, and we are together,” the WNBPA executive committee said on Wednesday, March 4. “We want to play basketball in 2026. We want to be in front of our fans playing the game that we love. We will not stop fighting. There is no WNBA without the players.”

Plum echoed that sentiment on March 3. Ahead of the Unrivaled semifinal game on Monday, Plum said: “I want to play, and players want to play … And so obviously we’re going to continue to negotiate and do everything we possibly can to get this done in a timely fashion. But obviously, a strike would be the worst thing for both sides, because we are in a revenue (sharing system), so no revenue, no revenue to share.”

Has the WNBA ever had a lockout?

The WNBA has never experienced a lockout in its 30-year history, although the 2003 WNBA draft and preseason were postponed before a new CBA was reached.

When is the 2026 WNBA Draft? Who has No. 1 pick?

The 2026 WNBA Draft is scheduled to take place on Monday, April 13, a little more than a week after a national champion will be crowned at the 2026 NCAA Tournament. The Dallas Wings were awarded the No. 1 overall pick in the draft lottery for the second consecutive year. The Wings will have first dibs on big names like UConn’s Azzi Fudd, Spain’s Awa Fam, UCLA’s Lauren Betts, TCU’s Olivia Miles and LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson.

“We want someone who wants to win,” said Wings forward Maddy Siegrist, who represented the team at the lottery in November. The Minnesota Lynx will pick second in the draft, followed by the Seattle Storm.

When is the 2026 expansion draft?

The Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire are set to join the league in 2026 as the 14th and 15th WNBA franchises, but the teams will have to wait a little longer to begin assembling their rosters. That’s because the rules and format of the upcoming expansion draft will be negotiated in the new CBA, meaning the draft cannot be held until a deal is in place.

“We have given our general managers some guidance on how we’re thinking, but until we get the collective bargaining agreement done, it won’t be finalized as to the format or process,” WNBA commissioner Cathy Englebert said back in October. “But you can expect, because you saw what we did last year, something similar.”

When the Golden State Valkyries joined the league as the 13th franchise in 2025, the team’s expansion draft was held on Dec. 6, 2024. The draft rules were released on Sept. 30, 2024 and WNBA teams were required to provide the league with a roster list of all their players by Nov 25, 2024, including six protected players that wouldn’t be available for selection. Golden State then got to pick one player from each team, nearly two months before team-building continued through free agency in late January.

The timeline will be much tighter for the Tempo and Fire with the WNBA’s projected May 8 start date. The league has to squeeze in an expansion draft for two teams, free agency featuring over 100 players, and the 2026 WNBA Draft before opening night.

When does WNBA free agency start?

It’s not clear when WNBA free agency will start, but it will likely be a wild ride. The league will have a staggering amount of free agents as many players avoided signing contracts past the 2025 season, aside from rookie-scale contracts, as a new CBA and higher salaries are on the horizon. Money is not the only thing on the negotiating table – the new CBA could impact free agency rules, such as core designation rules.

2026 WNBA season key dates

The WNBA’s landmark 30th season is scheduled to tip off on Friday, May 8.

May 8: Opening NightJune 1-June 17: Commissioner’s CupJuly 24-27: All-Star Weekend (Chicago)Sept. 1- Sept. 16: FIBA BreakSept. 24: Last day of regular season

Contributing: Nancy Armour, Meghan Hall, Cydney Henderson, Mark Giannotto, Heather Burns