Star player Paige Bueckers reveals players' unwavering stance on core WNBA CBA issues, highlighting strategic patience and firm priorities amid ongoing league negotiations.
As the WNBA and its players move beyond a critical bargaining deadline without a new collective bargaining agreement in place, Paige Bueckers framed the moment not as a breakdown, but as a reflection of clear priorities and deliberate patience.
With negotiations continuing under a “status quo” arrangement — meaning the current CBA remains in effect — Bueckers emphasized that the absence of an extension does not signal uncertainty about the players’ position. Instead, she described a negotiating process defined by knowing exactly where flexibility exists and where it does not.
“There are some things we just won’t budge on,” Bueckers said. “And then there are things we think we can meet halfway on.”
Her comments came as discussions between the league and the WNBPA remain focused on long-term economic structure, particularly revenue sharing. While public attention has centered on the looming deadline, Bueckers’ remarks suggested that players view this phase as part of a longer, strategic process rather than a moment requiring rushed concessions.
At the heart of the negotiations is a fundamental disagreement over how player compensation should be calculated. The league has advocated for a model tied to net revenue — revenue after expenses — while the union has pushed for a structure based on gross revenue. Players have argued that because they provide the labor and have no control over operating costs, their compensation should not be determined only after expenses are deducted.
That philosophical divide has slowed progress, but Bueckers’ perspective indicated that standing firm is not mutually exclusive with compromise. Instead, she described negotiation as an exercise in discernment: identifying which issues are foundational and which can be adjusted.
Supporting that view, union leadership has openly acknowledged that an extension was unlikely before the deadline. Breanna Stewart, a vice president of the WNBPA and a star for the New York Liberty, confirmed that negotiations would continue without an immediate agreement.
“We are not coming to an agreement by tomorrow, I can tell you that,” Stewart said. “We’re just going to continue to negotiate in good faith.”
Stewart’s comments reinforced the tone Bueckers set — one rooted in resolve rather than alarm. Although players voted in mid-December to grant union leadership the authority to initiate a strike if negotiations stall further, that option has been described as leverage rather than an imminent action.
For Bueckers, the broader picture remains focused on long-term sustainability and fairness, even if that means accepting a slower path to resolution. Her comments reflected a belief shared by many players: progress is measured not by speed, but by whether the final agreement aligns with core principles they are unwilling to compromise.