Some WNBA players back away from talk of strike as clock ticks on CBA deadline

Multiple WNBA players Monday struck down the idea of striking, with one high-ranking union executive going as far as saying a “strike would be the worst thing.”

While negotiations for a new WNBA collective bargaining agreement have intensified in recent weeks, Kelsey Plum, the first vice president of the Women’s National Basketball Players Association, said the WNBA and players remain at odds over several labor-related issues.

Negotiations remain ongoing, but Plum highlighted that the league’s agreement to create a revenue-sharing model involving players is a positive development.

Still, the two sides haven’t agreed on what that system would look like and that standoff is holding up a deal.

“We fought really hard for [revenue sharing], and that’s also the hardest part about this, is we’re in a rev share and we’re on a time constraint,” Plum said Monday after shootaround ahead of Unrivaled’s semifinal games at Barclays Center. “And there’s a sense of urgency obviously to get this deal done and just to be clear: I want to play. 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 those done in a timely fashion but obviously a strike would be the worst thing for both sides because we are in a revenue share, so no revenue, no revenue to share.”

The potential for a strike has been looming ever since players opted out of the previous CBA in October 2024, with WNBPA officials advising players to save money in case of a work stoppage.

In December, players voted in favor of allowing the WNBPA executive committee to call a strike “when necessary.”

But as negotiations have ramped up in recent weeks, the tone regarding a potential work stoppage has shifted.

“I don’t think a strike is good for anyone,” Liberty star and WNBPA co-vice president Breanna Stewart said in agreement with Plum. “Because as the league loses money, or if we have a delay, we also lose money.”

The WNBA officially replied to the union’s latest proposal Sunday night. The biggest changes include a slight increase to the league’s proposed 2026 salary cap and an accelerated path for star players on rookie contracts to earn maximum paydays.

Players on rookie deals who earn All-WNBA first- or second-team honors would become eligible to sign a max contract extension in their fourth year, sources confirmed. Those players, though, wouldn’t be eligible for the core designation, which is essentially the WNBA’s equivalent to the NFL franchise tag.

For example, Caitlin Clark, who made All-WNBA her rookie season, would be eligible for a maximum contract in 2027. Paige Bueckers, who earned All-WNBA honors last season, would be eligible in 2028.

Also, players on rookie deals who earn league MVP honors could be eligible for the supermax extension, with no core designation, sources said.

The WNBA continues to stand firm on its offer of players receiving a 70 percent share of net revenue, or team and league revenue after expenses.

The WNBPA most recently demanded 26 percent of gross revenue, or revenue before expenses, which is a far cry from the 40 percent share request the union started at.

Plum said getting the players union and league on the same page for a revenue-sharing model has been “a pain point.” She said the league’s 70 percent net revenue offer is a “significant win” when compared to previous CBAs, but she also believes there’s more room for improvement.

“It’s important to note that we still need to continue to negotiate and you can continue to negotiate without striking,” Plum said.

The players and league also remain far apart on the salary cap. The league’s latest proposal offered a salary cap of $5.75 million in 2026 that, based on conservative league projections, would grow to roughly $8.5 million by the sixth year of the CBA.

Meanwhile, players have asked for the salary cap to start at $9.45 million in Year 1 of the new deal.

Stewart doesn’t believe the league’s latest proposal is worth the union taking a vote on.

“There’s definitely negotiations that need to be done,” Stewart said. “And I think that whether you look at the union’s deal or the league, still, it’s like both of them are not ready. Both are not ready to be voted on because both need to be negotiated.”

But time is ticking.

League officials told players last week that March 10 is the target date to agree to terms on a new deal. If that doesn’t happen, the 2026 season, scheduled to open May 8, could be delayed.

“Where things are is everyone is kind of moving with a sense of urgency now — something we wish was happening basically from the beginning,” Stewart said. “We feel that deadline approaching and wanting to kind of get a deal in place but there’s still a lot that we’re not agreeing [on].”