WNBA players face a critical deadline as talks stall. Napheesa Collier reveals the impasse, hinting at potential strike action amidst revenue disputes.
The WNBA and its players’ union are approaching a critical deadline with negotiations at a standstill, raising the stakes as the current collective bargaining agreement is set to expire in a matter of days.
With the Jan. 9 deadline looming, there has been no reported movement from the league since its last proposal in December. Multiple extensions have already pushed back the expiration of the agreement, originally set for Oct. 31, but the two sides remain divided on the core economic framework of the league’s future.
WNBPA vice president Napheesa Collier publicly acknowledged the impasse Monday during an appearance on “Good Morning America,” where she was promoting the upcoming second season of Unrivaled, the offseason 3-on-3 league she co-founded with Breanna Stewart.
Asked directly about the status of CBA negotiations, Collier did not mince words.
“We are at a bit of a standstill,” Collier said. “The timeline is coming up in a couple of days. It’s going to expire.”
While Collier emphasized that neither side is seeking a work stoppage, her comments reflected the growing urgency surrounding talks that have yet to produce consensus. In late December, WNBA players voted to authorize the WNBPA’s executive committee to call a strike if necessary, a formal step that underscored the seriousness of the situation even as negotiations continued.
At the center of the dispute is how the league’s rapidly growing revenues should be shared. According to USA TODAY Sports, the WNBA has proposed a system in which players would receive more than 70% of net revenue. That proposal includes a revamped salary structure featuring a maximum $1 million base salary, along with a revenue-sharing component that could push total player earnings above $1.3 million in 2026. Over the life of the deal, the maximum salary would grow to nearly $2 million.
The league’s proposal would also raise the minimum salary to more than $250,000 and the average salary to over $530,000, with that figure projected to exceed $780,000 by the end of the agreement.
Players, however, have made clear that the debate is not simply about top-line salary figures. According to The Athletic, the league has offered revenue sharing at 15%, while the union has proposed 30%. The two sides also differ on how revenue would be calculated and how those percentages would be reflected in the salary cap and broader compensation system.
Collier framed Unrivaled as a working example of what players believe is possible when compensation is more closely aligned with value creation.
“We’re just excited to show at Unrivaled that it is possible to pay the players and create a successful business,” Collier said. “And that’s what we hope to do in the WNBA as well.”
She added that players remain confident in their position as negotiations reach their final stretch.
“We feel really confident in what we’re asking for, and I just feel really blessed to be able to play and create something that is already showing that these things are possible,” Collier said.
As the deadline approaches, Collier’s blunt assessment has sharpened the moment facing the league: without movement soon, the WNBA and its players may be forced to confront what comes next when the clock runs out.