WNBA nears unfortunate history amid stalled CBA negotiations

January 8, 2026

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WNBA nears unfortunate history amid stalled CBA negotiations originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The WNBA is facing a crucial point in its history.

On Friday, the league and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association will either agree to a new extension of the 2020 collective bargaining agreement, or they will enter a “status quo” that may be interrupted with a work stoppage at any time.

A new report from The Athletic reveals that neither side has offered the other an extension to continue negotiating a new CBA, after the WNBPA announced last month that its members voted to authorize a strike action “when necessary.”

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The WNBA never has had to cancel games in its 30-year history. That possibility is growing by the day, as the league and the players’ union continue to differ on a salary structure that would fundamentally change player compensation amid ratings and attendance booms.

“(The WNBA) still want(s) to pay coaches more than they pay an A’ja Wilson or a Napheesa Collier,” Minnesota Lynx guard Courtney Williams said on the Studbudz Twitch stream last month. “They want to pay the coaches and all their expenses first.”

There remain no set-in-stone dates for the expansion drafts that would fill out the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo rosters, nor has the league announced when a transformative free agency cycle — in which practically every veteran player would become available — is to begin.

The WNBA has held the 2026 draft lottery already, and the Dallas Wings know they will hold the first overall selection at the draft when it tips off on April 13. But the 2026 season itself seems to be in some jeopardy as the CBA talks remain stagnant.