WNBA labor talks approach deadline, but room left to start season as planned

WNBA collective bargaining agreement negotiations have intensified as Tuesday’s deadline nears. 

In March alone, the league and players union have exchanged three CBA proposals, including two over the weekend. 

No details have been shared on either of the two most recent offers. The lack of details on these offers suggests the league and the union are engaging actively in crunch time, with the 2026 season scheduled to open in 60 days. 

The league warned players last month that the scheduled start date would be impacted if the two sides didn’t agree to terms on a new deal by Tuesday. 

The tone surrounding the deadline has softened in recent days. Some sources told The Post that if a deal is not reached, it does not automatically signal a delayed start for the season. However, many significant events must occur before training camp can open April 19, including expansion drafts for Toronto and Portland, free agency and the college draft.

On the eve of that deadline, there’s a lack of clarity on where things stand. 

The main sticking points that have slowed talks up to this point remain the same. The players union is steadfast in preserving league-funded housing for all players and fighting for a share in league and team gross revenue, while the league seemingly won’t budge on giving players more than 70 percent of net revenue.

The WNBA’s latest proposal was sent to the union Saturday night — about 24 hours after the WNBPA shared its own version. The players union has yet to respond as of Monday afternoon, sources said.

Even if the two sides agree to a term sheet by Tuesday, lawyers would need around three weeks to put together a formal contract to be ratified.

During that period, the WNBA offseason would remain in a holding pattern as it has since the league and WNBPA agreed to a moratorium on league business in January. 

Once official, the league can move forward with its offseason. 

Teams would have to submit their protected player lists for the upcoming expansion drafts to Portland and Toronto. (The rules for the expansion draft remain unclear because they’re determined by the CBA.)

The WNBA isn’t expected to schedule events during the Final Four, which runs April 3-5. This means the WNBA’s condensed offseason could potentially start April 6.

After the expansion draft, the qualifying offer period would begin.

In past years, teams would have 10 days to extend qualifying offers to reserved and restricted free agents as well as designate a core player to a pending unrestricted free agent. That window, though, could be cut in half. 

Then, free agency could begin, with more than 100 players seeking new contracts, including some of the league’s biggest stars.

In a normal offseason, free agency starts Feb. 1 and can drag on for weeks. For example, despite Breanna Stewart publicly announcing her plans to return to the Liberty in 2025, she didn’t officially ink a contract until March 29. 

Some speculate the shortened free agency window could result in less movement and more players signing one-year deals.

The college draft is scheduled for April 13, and training camp is set to open a week later. 

The Liberty are slated to play their first preseason game against the Fever on April 25 before opening their season May 8 at Barclays Center against the Sun. 

The longer negotiations go on, the shorter the windows get for these various stages of the offseason.