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WNBA commissioner says league and union ‘need to reach agreement by Monday’

Kevin SmythBy No Comments8 Mins Read
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In the middle of a fourth day of marathon negotiations, Cathy Engelbert, WNBA commissioner addressed the “urgency” of the ongoing CBA talks between the league and the WNBPA.

“I’ve never been a gambler in my life and I’m not going to start now. But we have to have a deal done by Monday,” Engelbert said. according to an Associated Press report. “We have to get this done without disrupting some of the fact that we have to have this two-team expansion (draft). We have to get the expansion going. (We have to) get free agency going. We have to get the college draft done.”

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Engelbert reportedly told media on-site in New York that there was “urgency” between the league and its players’ union to try to reach an agreement by Monday, March 16, to avoid disruptions to 2026 preseason activities.

THE 2026 WNBA Draft is currently scheduled for April 13. Training camp is scheduled to begin April 19, with preseason games beginning April 25 and continuing through May 3. The season is tentatively scheduled to begin May 8. The free agency and expansion drafts for the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo, which are also scheduled to take place before the season, cannot begin until a new CBA agreement is in place.

WNBPA Executive Director Terri Carmichael Jackson, who was also on hand, reportedly described the progress made over the past four days as a “movement.”

“We’ve been there, engaged 24 hours a day and speaking very passionately and in a matter-of-fact way,” Carmichael Jackson said. “As long as the movement keeps us moving forward, I think we’re fine.”

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Carmichael Jackson said Engelbert and the league have emphasized that a “transformational” deal remains the ultimate goal. Comments from the media commissioner on site seemed to reflect this.

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“We’re trying to put together a package of salaries and benefits and all the other things that the players want and deserve, and I want for them too,” Engelbert was quoted as saying. “I said, I want all these things for the players… put it together as a package that meets our goals of a transformational deal.”

Carmichael Jackson also reportedly told the media that a salary system between the league and its players “tied to revenue in a meaningful way” remained a top priority.

“The conversations helped us understand what the concerns of both parties are and how we address them and how we address them,” Carmichael Jackson said.

Sources tell USA TODAY Sports that the two sides continue to meet to work on CBA negotiations, exchanging several proposals throughout this week’s talks. As of Friday morning, meetings between the league and WNBPA management had stretched well beyond 36 hours of negotiations after four straight days of marathon meetings. A source confirmed that on Friday evening there were another 11 hours of discussions.

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On Friday, WNBPA Vice President Napheesa Collier also reportedly joined the negotiations on site. It was Collier’s first appearance during the marathon negotiations. She joined other members of the executive committee already there, including vice-president Nneka Ogwumike.

“I think we both always understood each other,” Carmichael Jackson said. “Now we have to keep dancing and see where this trickles down.”

This article was originally published on USA TODAY: WNBA commissioner says CBA negotiations must be completed by Monday

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