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We are just under two months out from the start of the WNBA regular season and still without a collective bargaining agreement between league management and the players union. At this point, both sides have been arguing for months, and it’s hard to know exactly how close they are to ironing out a contract.
But in a sign of potential good news, both camps are reportedly scheduled to meet on Tuesday’s previously proposed deadline to further discuss negotiations, according to the Associated Press’s Doug Feinberg. Following some movement over the weekend, could the league office and WNBPA come to a handshake agreement at that point? Or will the contentious back-and-forth continue?
Here’s a peek at where things stand as of Tuesday afternoon:
Wait, what is this “deadline”?
Back in February, WNBA leadership identified March 10 as the deadline by which CBA terms must be agreed upon to avoid changes to the 2026 schedule.
Now, since that date is here, will said changes actually happen?
We do not yet know. Per ESPN’s Alexa Philippou, who has reported closely on the negotiations, March 10 was initially described as more of a “target date” than a hard-and-fast deadline. The move was also likely intended to put pressure on both sides, seeing as a new deal could still take weeks to be ratified.
“I wasn’t shocked by them setting a date,” one GM told ESPN’s Michael Voepel. “I will say I was surprised [that] it was the first time they had used the timeline as a negotiation tactic. It’s like, what? You’re doing this in late February? We have been doing the reverse engineering math internally and thought [the date] would be way sooner. Like 10 days to a week earlier around [NBA] All-Star. We thought there was no way we could squeeze everything in in this timeline.
“For anyone to say they were surprised there was a date set, what do you mean? There are two teams without rosters. What are you thinking?”
A CBA also isn’t the only outstanding action item to wrap up before the season can begin. In addition to the expansion draft for the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire—the two teams to which the GM is alluding—the league must also still conduct a college draft (currently scheduled for April 13) and hold a free agency period for over 100 players.
“Whatever we have to do to get to a season, I’m like, ‘Hey, let’s do it,’ ” one GM added. “Even if nobody sleeps for like a month.”
Are talks close?
It is hard to know from the outside. But there has been movement as of late.
On March 1, the league countered the WNBPA’s latest proposal with what executive committee member Kelsey Plum described as a “significant win.”
The union then countered that proposal on Friday, March 6, before the league replied on Saturday, March 7. That means the ball is currently in the union’s court.
And, according to the AP, the league and the players union are set to meet on Tuesday to continue discussions.
What are players saying?
Throughout the process, players have been eager to reach a deal and avoid a lockout, but have held fast on the issues that matter most to them.
“I don’t understand why we don’t just get in a room and iron it out and shake hands,” Fever guard Caitlin Clark, in Miami for a Team USA practice, told reporters on Saturday. “That’s how business is. You look each other in the eye, you shake hands, you respect both sides. For me, that’s what I would love to see.”
Added Liberty star and union vice president Breanna Stewart: “I think that would be great for us all to sit in a room until we really get it done,” she said. “If that means sitting in there for hours and hours at a time, let’s do it. That’s for the better of the player. While a situation like that has never happened before, there‘s a first time for everything.”
“We want the deal to be done. We want to have the season,” Stewart continued. “We just need to find the right numbers that reflect it.”
So what happens if/when a deal is reached?
O.K., let’s say both sides do agree to CBA terms, either on March 10 or shortly after. In that case, a deal would likely be signed by the end of the month, with the expansion draft for the new franchises to be held sometime around April 1–6, ESPN recently reported, according to a timetable obtained by The Associated Press.
Free agent offers would then go out on April 7 and 8, with a signing period from April 12–18. Training camps would open the day after that, and the season could proceed as expected come May 8.
What issues are at the heart of negotiations?
Revenue sharing is the key sticking point between both camps. In its late February proposal, the union reportedly asked for 26% of gross revenue for players; the league, meanwhile, has been countering with an offer of 70% of net revenue. Numbers from the most recent offers, however, have not been made public.
