Three forces shaping the WNBA’s stalled CBA negotiations

Labor negotiations in the WNBA have now dragged on for more than a year and still feature docuseries-level drama.

Last week, the players’ union voted to
authorize a strike “if necessary,” though WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike emphasized that players still hope it won’t come to that. The league, meanwhile, accused the union of misrepresenting the state of negotiations and rejected the notion that it is resisting change.

What comes next is anyone’s guess. No matter how this plays out, though, fans should stay focused on three fundamentals: time, money and the balance of power.

Time: A rushed offseason risks turning chaotic

Even without the CBA drama, the 2026 offseason was always going to be a little messy. There’s an expansion draft for new teams in Portland and Toronto, and a free-agent class that includes nearly every veteran in the league.

But CBA negotiations threaten to turn the offseason into a logistical nightmare.

Typically, the WNBA offseason unfolds early in the calendar year. Free agents do a round of speed dating with teams, and by late February most contracts have been signed. By mid-April, the college draft has come and gone.

If a new CBA gets signed by the current Jan. 9 deadline, there’s still a chance to preserve something close to the usual rhythm. But what if talks drag on?

If an agreement isn’t reached until, say, March 1, teams would have roughly six weeks to run an expansion draft, negotiate with free agents and finalize rosters around the college draft. That’s hardly ideal for such a pivotal important moment in the league’s history.

Money: Players will get a raise, but maybe not radical change

With a new media deal coming into effect in 2026 and attendance rising across the league, players are all but guaranteed a massive raise.

One recent league proposal included maximum salaries topping $1 million at the high end and minimums around $250,000. Those figures would rise over the life of the deal and could include upside from revenue sharing.

Given that WNBA salaries currently range from $66,000-250,000, that would be a major jump. Compared to other women’s sports, it’s a slam dunk. The NWSL minimum salary is around $50,000 while in professional women’s hockey, it’s closer to $35,000.

So why did WNBA players balk at the deal?

Because they’re pushing for a bigger structural change. Players want their salaries set the way they are in major men’s leagues: as a share of total league revenue. The Athletic reported that WNBA players are pushing for close to 30% of total league revenue, while the league has offered to share only a subset of revenue.

Historically, the kind of revenue sharing proposed by the players doesn’t come easy. Owners resist it because it moves players closer to equity partners than employees. In the WNBA, there’s even more reason for resistance because there are more mouths to feed on the ownership side. Beyond the 15 team owners (and counting), the NBA still owns a majority of the league.

Power: Player power is rising, but the NBA still calls the shots

Player power has grown substantially since the last CBA in 2020, in part because of the emergence of alternative women’s basketball leagues. At Unrivaled, which now employs more than a third of the WNBA, players can earn around $220,000 per season, plus equity. Another startup league, Project B, will launch in November 2026 and has reportedly offered players salaries worth millions.

More and more players do not count the WNBA as their primary source of income. That strengthens their argument for higher pay (“pay us the market rate”) and makes the threat of a strike more credible (“we won’t go broke without you”).

Increased visibility is another bargaining chip. The league’s stars now command far more attention than in other women’s sports, in some cases even rivaling men’s sports. Caitlin Clark, for example, is a bigger name than most of the NBA’s young stars.

But that leverage cuts both ways.

Even players acknowledge that losing the WNBA platform would hurt their visibility. The league remains far more popular than Unrivaled or Athletes Unlimited, and its ecosystem drives endorsement value.

The final wrinkle is the NBA itself. Commissioner Adam Silver recently offered to step in to negotiations, like a reluctant dad who’d hoped the kids might work it out themselves. With so much power still resting in the hands of the WNBA’s parent company, maybe negotiations should have started, not ended, with Silver.

Final word
Even once the question of salary structure is settled, there’s a long list of issues left to hammer out, including:

• Retirement and mental-health benefits for players.

• Roster sizes.

• Organizational staffing requirements.

• Number of games and the season’s footprint.

That last bullet could prove just as contentious as salary.
Players were already vocal about the toll of a 44-game season on rest and injury risk, and there’s no way to extend the calendar without creating conflict with other leagues.