Marathon WNBA CBA talks conclude, with progress acknowledged but significant hurdles remain. A transformational deal for players and owners is the ultimate goal.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert offered a measured update after marathon negotiations between the league and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association stretched past the 12-hour mark late Tuesday night.
Speaking to reporters after the lengthy session, Engelbert acknowledged that progress is being made but emphasized that significant work remains before a new collective bargaining agreement is finalized.
“It’s complex,” Engelbert said via Annie Costabile. “But we’re working towards a win-win deal like we’ve been saying — a transformational deal for these players that balances all the things we’ve been trying to balance with continued investment by our owners. So we’re working hard towards that, and we still have work to do.”
The update came after both sides met in New York as part of ongoing CBA negotiations, with the league previously identifying March 10 as a key deadline to avoid disruption to the 2026 season.
Talks extended well into the night, with reports indicating that players and union representatives remained in meetings for roughly ten hours before leaving the Manhattan hotel where discussions were held.
Union executive director Terri Jackson also addressed reporters later in the evening, describing the talks as “a conversation going in the right direction,” though she did not suggest that a deal was imminent.
The negotiations follow months of back-and-forth proposals between the league and the union. WNBA players opted out of the previous CBA in October 2024 in pursuit of a new structure that would more closely tie salaries to league revenue growth.
Revenue sharing remains the central issue in the talks.
The league has reportedly proposed a model based on a percentage of net revenue, while the players’ union is pushing for a share of gross revenue that would also include expansion fees. The difference between those approaches has been one of the biggest sticking points throughout negotiations.
Other issues under discussion include team-provided housing, facility standards, retirement and family planning benefits, and changes to core designation rules.
Despite the lack of a finalized agreement, both sides have continued negotiating under a “status quo” period while attempting to reach a deal that would avoid the WNBA’s first work stoppage in league history.
Time remains a major factor.
The 2026 season is currently scheduled to begin on May 8, but several offseason events — including free agency and expansion processes for the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo — cannot move forward until a new CBA is finalized.
With negotiations continuing and both sides still at the table, Engelbert’s message remained consistent: progress is happening, but the finish line has not yet been reached.