Teams can extend player offers as WNBA negotiations stall. A crucial labor period begins, leaving player contracts and league future uncertain.
The WNBA has directed teams to continue operating under the existing collective bargaining agreement and proceed with player contract offers, even as negotiations with the players’ union failed to produce a new deal by a third deadline late Friday night.
With no agreement reached by midnight, the league formally entered a “status quo” period under U.S. labor law. That framework allows league operations to continue under the terms of the expired agreement while negotiations remain ongoing between the WNBA and the WNBA Players Association.
Front Office Sports reported that WNBA officials spent the past two days contacting general managers and senior executives from every franchise to clarify how teams should proceed. During those conversations, league officials emphasized that the status quo period permits teams to send qualifying offers and other player offers beginning Jan. 11, even without a new CBA in place.
Sources familiar with the discussions said the league communicated that teams are allowed to move forward procedurally, though the broader uncertainty surrounding the labor talks remains unresolved.
Behind the scenes, league and union leaders also discussed the possibility of a temporary moratorium that would pause certain league activity until a new agreement is ratified. Multiple league sources said that option was raised by the league roughly an hour before the deadline passed. As of midnight, no moratorium had been agreed to.
Some league sources told Front Office Sports they viewed proceeding under the expired agreement as largely symbolic while talks continue.
“Without a real salary cap, no one is going to sign anything.”
The union issued a strongly worded statement late Friday night, criticizing the league’s approach to negotiations and its reliance on the status quo structure.
The WNBA Players Association said the league and its owners “have remained committed to undervaluing player contributions, dismissing player concerns, and running out the clock.”
In a separate passage, the union accused the league of “delaying and clinging to the status quo,” saying that approach was “jeopardizing the livelihoods of players and trust and investment of fans, all in the name of preserving regressive provisions that no longer belong in women’s basketball.”
The WNBA released a brief statement shortly after the deadline, framing its position around long-term growth rather than the immediate mechanics of operating without a new agreement.
“As the league experiences a pivotal time of unprecedented popularity and growth, we recognize the importance of building upon that momentum,” the league said. “Our priority is a deal that significantly increases player salaries, enhances the overall player experience, and supports the long-term growth of the league for current and future generations of players and fans.”
Under the expired CBA, teams are permitted to issue qualifying offers — including core designations that grant exclusive negotiating rights — through Jan. 20. Any such offers would be governed by the terms of the previous agreement until a new deal is finalized.
Publicly, union leadership had already signaled that a breakthrough was unlikely before the deadline. On Thursday, Breanna Stewart, a vice president of the union, said neither a new agreement nor another extension was expected to be reached by Friday night.
The unresolved negotiations are unfolding alongside broader league changes, including the addition of expansion franchises such as the Toronto Tempo and the Portland Fire, adding further complexity to an already delicate offseason landscape.
For now, teams have been told they may proceed under the status quo. But with no new collective bargaining agreement in place and tensions escalating between the league and its players, the directive underscores a central reality of the moment: league business is moving forward, even as the foundation beneath it remains unsettled.