Last week, the WNBA released its 2026 regular season schedule, including that of the Washington Mystics. The regular season is expected to begin in early May. But for now, I haven’t written about it because… technically… there won’t be a 2026 WNBA season until a collective bargaining agreement is in place.
The WNBA and the WNBPA players’ union remain separated on revenue-sharing agreements and housing. And the WNBA apparently did not respond to a proposal from the WNBPA because… it was indeed the same proposal on the owners’ side. According to ESPN’s Alexa Philippouthe league is awaiting another proposal from the WNBA that would be more “realistic”. The article says housing, revenue sharing, celebrating the WNBA’s victories in the 2020s, and rebuilding trust are the keys to achieving a CBA faster.
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So, what are the most recent proposals, at least in terms of salaries?
According to another article from ESPN earlier this month, players want $10.5 million salary cap (it was $12.5 million) per team and the league wants an amount closer to $5 million per team with room to grow as revenue increases. Again, players still want maximum salaries above $1 million each.
But here is the current salary cap without a collective agreement: zero. And no 2026 WNBA season. If that happens, the WNBA AND the players stand to lose because media partners likely have clauses to reduce their investments. To be clear, few people are anticipating the 2026 WNBA season being canceled. However, if that were to happen, it would hurt both parties who would benefit from it.
So yes, things are still… at a standstill with the upcoming WNBA CBA. What do you think should happen with these negotiations, or do you think a work stoppage (lockout by the league OR player strike) should happen? Let us know in the comments below.
