The WNBA and the players’ association will not reach a collective bargaining agreement before Friday’s deadline and will enter a “status quo” period with the current CBA in place. WNBPA Vice President Breanna Stewart confirmed Thursday that the parties remain far apart on key issues but will continue to negotiate in good faith.
“We won’t reach an agreement tomorrow, I can tell you that,” Stewart said after training at Unrivaled. “We will simply continue negotiating in good faith.”
Permission to strike remains an option
Players voted in mid-December to give WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike and the executive committee the authority to potentially initiate a strike. Stewart said calling a strike “is not something we’re going to do right now, but we have that in our back pocket.”
Sources told ESPN that the WNBA has not considered a lockout. League sources believe the two sides will reach an agreement and the 2026 season will go ahead as planned.
The main dispute centers on revenue sharing structures, specifically whether gross or net revenues should be used. Net income deducts expenses before distribution, while gross income is calculated before expenses. The WNBA considers gross revenues to be inaccurate because it ignores operating costs.
The WNBPA believes that players who provide labor without controlling costs should not be paid last after costs are deducted.
The WNBA projects a recent proposal that gives players about 30% of gross revenues with a salary cap hit of $10.5 million, which would mean $700 million in losses over the life of the agreement. That total would surpass the combined losses of the league’s first 29 years, according to sources.
A source close to the negotiations said the union believes its revenue-sharing model maintains the league’s profitability. The league proposed a system that exceeds 50% of net revenues, while the union aims for about 30% of gross revenues.
Stewart and other Unrivaled players recognized that finding a compromise remains the only viable path forward, despite significant differences.
“Although we are both seemingly far apart, there is a place where we can find common ground,” Stewart said.
Paige Bueckers added clarity on negotiating borders.
“There are some things that we just don’t want to give in to, and we think we have to stand firm, and then there are things that we think we can meet halfway,” Bueckers said.
Chelsea Gray reinforced the union’s position on minimum standards.
“There are some things we’re not willing to compromise on, so there’s a standard we’re not going to go below,” Gray said. “And that means that we have to wait a little longer so as not to fall below our standard, then that is what it is.”
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