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The collective bargaining agreement could end on Sunday night if no agreement is reached.
There is another deadline approaching in the collective bargaining negotiations between the Women’s National Basketball Association owners and the players. The two sides could not come up with an agreement in October and decided to try and get a deal done by November 30th. If a deal cannot be reached, there are three options available. The two sides could extend the deadline or the owners could lockout the players or the players could go on strike. There is plenty of time before the 2026 season starts in the spring but there is a business to run. Portland and Toronto are supposed to be stocked by an expansion draft and there is the WNBA entry draft on April 13th, 2026. If there is a lockout imposed by the owners, players would be barred from team facilities, practices, games, and communications with team staff.
The players don’t want a salary cap while the owners are trying to suppress salaries. Very typical in sports labor negotiations. There may be another factor in the players’ thinking. Project B. A handful of WNBA players have committed to play in Project B, a women’s basketball startup league that will begin play in Europe, Asia and Latin America in November 2026 and last through April 2027. The league will not overlap with the WNBA season, at least not in 2027. The Project B women’s basketball league will include six teams with 11 players on each roster, and play a 5-on-5 format. Project B plans to host seven two-week tournaments in locations throughout Europe, Asia and Latin America. Project B will offer players an equity stake in the league and promises to pay more than the WNBA owners are willing to pay for players. But that is not the problem at hand for WNBA owners and players. Both sides want a CBA done.
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