Where WNBA labor negotiations stand as first extended deadline nears

Negotiations for a new WNBA collective bargaining agreement remain ongoing as the next deadline for a new deal draws near.

League officials and representatives from the Women’s National Basketball Players Association were scheduled to meet through the weekend ahead of Sunday’s 11:59 p.m. Eastern deadline.

Whether a potential work stoppage could happen remains uncertain, though players said throughout the summer that they were preparing for such a scenario.

If a deal isn’t reached by the end-of-the-month deadline, it doesn’t necessarily mean the league will shut down.

The two sides can agree to another extension, or the league can operate status quo as talks remain ongoing.

The current CBA was set to expire at the end of last month, though both sides agreed to a 30-day extension — essentially moving the deadline to the end of November.

Updated proposals from each side have been exchanged, but an agreement has yet to be reached.

The most recent known proposal from the league included a max salary of more than $1.1 million — a figure that represents the potential earnings based on a combination of players’ base salary and revenue sharing, according to multiple reports.

Front Office Sports also reported this month the supermax base salary would still be in the ballpark of $800,000 to $850,000.

Under that known proposal, the new league minimum would be more than $220,000 with an average of more than $460,000.

That’s still obviously a large increase from the current CBA as the league’s current supermax is $249,244 and the veteran minimum is $78,831.

But the players may argue the increase is not equal to the league’s booming valuation, with some franchises being valued at north of $400 million.

One of the biggest sticking points in negotiations has centered on revenue sharing.

The WNBA has said it’s proposed an “uncapped” revenue sharing model.

But the union is pushing for a model where players’ salaries are determined by revenue.

It’s an idea that’s similar to the NBA’s revenue sharing model in which salary cap is determined by the league’s basketball-related income.

Players are also pursuing improved benefits in this round of CBA negotiations.

They also want roster expansion, a softer salary cap and to codify charter travel, which was approved by the league in 2024 but not officially written into the current CBA.

The WNBA has said numerous times that this will be a “transformational” deal, but the two sides have different views on what that would look like.

While the WNBA has never canceled games due to labor disputes, it’s not unusual for negotiations to go beyond a current deal’s deadline.

During the last CBA cycle, the league and WNBPA didn’t ratify a deal until January 2020.

But the league’s offseason events — including two expansion drafts, free agency and college draft — will be put on hold until a new CBA is finalized.

The Golden State Valkyries’ expansion draft took place Dec. 6, 2024.

Free agency starts in late January, while the college draft isn’t until April.