The WNBA collective bargaining agreement expires at midnight Saturday. The league and WNBA Players’ Association were given 15 months to reach a new agreement after players opted out of the current CBA on Oct. 31, 2024, and agreed to two extensions.
However, the two will not agree on another.
Advertisement
Neither party initiated a work stoppage. The league will instead enter a period of status quo that approximates normal working conditions. Players and management can continue to contact each other, and players can access team facilities as needed.
“Despite our willingness to compromise to reach an agreement, the WNBA and its teams have failed to bring us to the table with the same spirit and seriousness,” the union said in a statement. “Instead, they remained committed to undervaluing player contributions, ignoring player concerns, and running out of time.”
The league acknowledged the CBA’s expiration in a statement released Friday evening, but said negotiations with the union were continuing.
“As the league navigates a pivotal period of unprecedented popularity and growth, we recognize the importance of building on this momentum,” the league’s statement said. “Our priority is a deal that significantly increases player salaries, improves the overall player experience and supports the long-term growth of the league for current and future generations of players and fans.”
On the final day of overtime, the players’ union brought a large inflatable rat to the NBA store in New York as a symbol of their protest. Still, union Vice President Breanna Stewart — who attends Unrivaled in Medley, Fla. — said she believes both sides will continue to negotiate in good faith.
Advertisement
The main point of contention remains the salary structure of a new ABC. The players have proposed a system that would pay them 30 percent of gross revenues, but the league’s proposal removes expenses from the top before allocating a revenue share to players. Both systems would significantly improve player compensation, with average salaries topping $530,000 in the first year of the league’s proposal and topping $800,000 in the union’s latest offer. The maximum salary in the current ABC is approximately $250,000.
Other sticking points remain, including schedule length, retirement benefits and the primary free agency designation.
The WNBA has never missed games due to a work stoppage since its inception in 1997. The last two negotiations required extensions but did not result in the CBA expiration to cause a standstill period.
Since the calendar flipped to January, the league could technically begin free agency play during the status quo period; the expired collective agreement would dictate the terms of the contract. However, it would be unlikely that players would commit to signing contracts under an outdated financial model when a windfall looms in a new collective agreement.
Advertisement
The league and players could also agree to a moratorium that would suspend free agency until a new deal is signed, eliminating the possibility of players/teams signing contracts of their own. The WNBA extended a moratorium offer to players the union is reviewing, effective Friday evening.
If and when a new deal is reached this offseason, the WNBA must conduct an expansion draft for the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire, free agency, a college draft and then training camp.
This article was originally published in Athletics.
WNBA, Sports Affairs
2026 The Athletic Media Company
