WNBA: Urgent to reach new CBA by Monday to not impact season

NEW YORK — WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert told reporters Friday there is an urgent need to reach a new collective bargaining agreement by Monday to avoid disruptions to the preseason calendar, including training camp and preseason games.

“We have to get it done by Monday. I should say, we have to get it done without disrupting some of the fact that we have to play this two-team expansion [draft],” Engelbart said. “We have to expand. We have to get to free agency. “We have to get to the college draft, which is a month from today.”

The league and union have bargained for double-digit hours each of the last four days starting Tuesday, which was the initial target date given by the WNBA to the union to complete the term sheet to avoid scheduling impacts on the 2026 season.

Training camp is scheduled to begin on April 19, and the first preseason game is scheduled for April 25.

Terri Carmichael Jackson, executive director of the Women’s National Basketball Players Association, who spoke before Engelbart’s comments, said she thinks the league’s deadlines often seem “quite arbitrary.”

Nonetheless, Engelbart and Jackson agreed Friday that progress had been made this week, particularly in talks on supporting issues over the past two days. The talks are going to continue on Saturday also.

Jackson said “movement is still the word” as the two sides engaged in a fourth day of intense talks. Engelbart said both sides “still have a lot of work to do.”

“I think the league and especially the commissioner and his team have heard that change is the goal,” Jackson told reporters. “As long as the movement moves us in a forward direction, I think we’re good.”

But the parties still need to agree on a new revenue sharing system.

Jackson reiterated Friday that a system “linked to revenue in a meaningful way” remains a priority for players.

“I think the conversation will continue [this week] “They’ve helped us understand what the concerns are on both sides and how we deal with them, how we address them.”

Leagues and unions have offered various systems for determining player salaries. The WNBA has proposed that players receive on average no more than 70% of net revenue (revenue after expenses are deducted), while the union’s last known proposal sought 26% of gross revenue (revenue before expenses) over the lifetime of the agreement.

The union had previously expressed displeasure over the league’s proposal to pay players less than 15% of gross revenue, while the WNBA has called the union’s proposals “unrealistic” and claimed it would result in millions of dollars in losses.

According to the latest known figures, the sides exchanged $6.2 million in Year 1 salary cap space from the league (not including revenue sharing payments) and approximately $9.5 million from players.

“Now we have to keep dancing and see where it goes,” Jackson said.

WNBPA Vice President Nafeesa Collier attended the bargaining in person on Friday evening, but fellow executive committee members briana turner And Alisha ClarkThose who were present at the beginning of the week are gone.

“It’s meaningful to sit across the table and listen to their concerns, listen to their concerns or listen to why we think what we’re negotiating is where we want to be,” Engelbert said. “In some cases, they agree. In some cases, they don’t agree. When players talk about things we listen to them, and they listen to us. So, you know, there will be progress.”

Jackson continued, “That’s how the conversation went last time. We just keep grinding and working around the clock.”