Players demand revenue sharing and improved conditions as contract talks stall. Ogwumike questions the league's silence amid growing urgency.
With the countdown to the WNBA’s 30th season slipping under the 100-day mark, collective bargaining talks remain stalled, a pause that union leadership says is becoming increasingly difficult to reconcile with the league’s public timeline.
Negotiations between the WNBA and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association have not advanced in recent weeks. Front Office Sports reported that the league has yet to respond to a proposal submitted by the union more than a month ago and that no full bargaining sessions have taken place since the start of the year, according to sources familiar with the talks.
Per that reporting, league officials believe a response was unnecessary based on the substance of the union’s proposal and are waiting for a counter they view as more workable. The union, however, sees the lack of engagement as a troubling signal given how little time remains before training camps, free agency, and other offseason mechanisms are set to begin.
WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike, speaking with Front Office Sports from the LPGA Women’s Leadership Summit in Orlando, said the league’s posture risks derailing constructive dialogue at a pivotal stage of the process.
Ogwumike said the absence of a formal response undermines momentum at a moment when clarity is needed most.
“It’s not a constructive way to continue on these negotiations, especially considering the timeline that we’re in,” Ogwumike told Front Office Sports.
She said the league’s explanation — that the proposal did not warrant a reply — only deepened the union’s concern.
“To give the excuse that our proposal was not adequate is concerning,” Ogwumike said.
According to Front Office Sports, the union’s proposal centers on a significant restructuring of player compensation and working conditions. It includes a $10.5 million team salary cap and a request for players to receive 30% of the league’s gross revenue, a formula that would push average salaries past $800,000. The proposal also addresses several non-salary issues, including the elimination of the core designation, shorter rookie-scale contracts, continued league-funded housing, and financial support for mental health care.
Sources cited by Front Office Sports said the league has not substantively engaged with those broader quality-of-life provisions.
The league’s most recent offer, as reported, outlines a different economic model. It features a $1 million maximum base salary that could rise above $1.3 million with incentives, paired with a revenue-sharing system tied to net revenue. Under that structure, average player pay would be closer to $530,000 once revenue sharing is included. Union officials have resisted that approach, arguing it effectively prioritizes the league’s recovery of costs before players benefit from growth.
As the impasse continues, uncertainty is beginning to ripple outward. Front Office Sports previously reported that league sources have expressed concern about potential delays to key calendar events — including the expansion draft, free agency, and the college draft — and warned that the 2026 season itself could be affected if an agreement is not reached soon.
Ogwumike said the union is aware of the tightening schedule but remains focused on substance over speed.
“I don’t think we’re being pressured because of the timeline at the expense of what we’re really trying to negotiate,” she said.
She emphasized that the goal is not to slow the process unnecessarily, but to ensure the final agreement reflects players’ value.
“If we can do this the right way, it will get done in a way that will be something we can be proud of and have a season,” Ogwumike said.
This marks Ogwumike’s third time negotiating a CBA as a player and her second as union president. Before her first election to the role in 2016, she served as vice president under former WNBA star Tamika Catchings. She was re-elected to a third term as president in 2022.
Ogwumike said her perspective as a labor leader has evolved from learning governance and protections to prioritizing dialogue across the union’s full membership.
“Nobody wants to be behind,” she said. “We all want a season, but we also want to sign an agreement that represents our fair share of our value.”