WNBA: CBA pressures, tensions are rising for the players’ union

On Tuesday, WNBPA members participated in a virtual meeting that was “spirited, passionate, and at times tough,” as described in a subsequent letter sent to union members by executive director Terri Carmichael Jackson.

Front Office Sports’ Annie Costabile first reported on the meeting, identifying the primary point of tension as “the approach to a potential strike.” Costabile explained, “Players authorized a potential strike in a near-unanimous vote in mid-December, but some players have changed their mind since.“

According to Costabile, the ability of the WNBPA executive committee to call a strike when necessary ultimately was reasserted by more than half of the union leadership.

In the aforementioned letter distributed to players, Jackson emphasized, “Honest debate is not division. It is engagement.”

Per Costabile, Jackson further communicated that “a CBA would not become final without the vote of members,” while also making clear that “the union would need the majority of players who vote to be in agreement in order to reach a deal.”

In her letter, Jackson also indicated that the union planned to send out a survey to assess the opinions of union members about the most recent proposal from the league.

Speaking to FOS, Lexie Brown, the primary player representative for the Seattle Storm, said:

We all want to play. We all want a fair CBA, but fair looks different to different people. So how do we get to a place where fair looks good to everybody: to the majority, to the minority, to the max players, to the role players, the rookies. How do we get to a place where fair looks the same?

As CBA negotiations continue, WNBA player agents seek clarity

On Thursday, a group of WNBA player agents sent their own letter to Jackson, asking for “transparency and coordinated communication” from the union as CBA negotiations continue.

According to ESPN’s Alexa Philippou, “The nearly dozen agents who signed the letter also asked for the ability to review the league’s current proposal for a new CBA, subject to signed nondisclosure agreements.”

Per Philippou, WNBPA staff preempted the letter from agents, sending their own communication to agents approximately 90 minutes prior and offering to meet with agents and their players “as part of our continued commitment to transparency and education throughout this process” and “to discuss the ongoing negotiations and answer any questions that your clients may have.”

Agents also requested to participate in the aforementioned union survey, according to Philippou.

In their letter, agents additionally emphasized their “unprecedented level of unity,” writing:

That alignment reflects a shared commitment to doing what is best for players and the long-term health of the league. We believe that same spirit of collaboration, utilizing all available expertise and resources, is how we should continue working together as a team.

How did the WNBPA accumulate a $9.25 million “war chest”?

What might ease the seemingly increasing tensions between union leadership, players and agents? Maybe $9.25 million.

Among all the recent back-and-forth scuttlebutt about the state of CBA negotiations was the revelation that WNBPA leadership was also working on distributing the revenue generated from licensing agreements. $9.25 million from licensing revenue, to be exact.

So, how did the WNBPA suddenly find themselves with almost $10 million to share with players? Over at The IX Sports, Howard Megdal explains this sudden windfall—and it’s significance.

According to Megdal, the union decided back in 2020 to save the income from licensed merchandise as an in-case-of-emergency “war chest,” rather than distribute it more immediately to players. He further notes that this strategy is not out of the ordinary for pro sports unions.

The WNBPA’s “war chest,” however, is much larger than the union likely envisioned back in 2020.

Since 2020, as the WNBA has exploded in popularity, the money generated from merchandising deals likewise has exploded. The $601,799 in take-home income that WNBPA ended up with in 2021 increased to over $3.5 million in 2025, with an additional $1,267,422 to come, per Megdal’s review of fiscal documents submitted to the IRS by the WNBPA.

This $9.25 million “war chest” now represents a WNBPA strike fund. As Megdal explains, “The WNBPA has created and can rely on a financial structure that serves as a de facto strike fund, the kind usually found on the owner side of the ledger.”

And the strike fund is even bigger. WNBA players are also set to benefit from revenue sharing for the first time in league history, as the league will be cutting a check for $8 million that goes to the players. Together, the players have more than $17 million to share, providing them with financial security in the event of a work stoppage.

There’s also extra financial cushion on the way. Megdal suggests WNBPA licensing agreements could generate millions in revenue in 2026, even if there are no games. He proposes:

In fact, while conventional wisdom would suggest that the revenue in such instances will be bigger if the WNBA season commences on time, the PA has itself a way to turn public sentiment in support of the players directly into a publicly supported funding mechanism. Think of this like the WNBPA’s version of World War I and II War Bonds.

It is unclear if this money and its forthcoming distribution was discussed at Tuesday’s virtual union meeting and, if so, whether it emerged as one of the points of tension.

However, it’s hard to see these funds as anything but a positive for the players. While the WNBPA’s “war chest” doesn’t put players near the financial footing of owners, the union appears equipped to provide their members with the support needed to prevent financial pressures from overly advantaging the league and its owners in the event of a work stoppage.