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Alexa Filippo
multiple authors
The WNBA told the WNBPA and its teams on Monday that a new collective bargaining agreement must be agreed upon by March 10 to ensure the 2026 schedule is not impacted, sources told ESPN.
Sources told ESPN that the WNBA — which is represented by league staff, the league’s labor relations committee and owners — and more than 50 players met virtually Monday morning for the second bargaining session this month involving players. Apart from sharing the league’s March 10 date, the two sides continued to negotiate over their conflicting positions amid the 16-month-long CBA talks.
The WNBPA plans to meet with leadership to discuss next steps, including feedback on the league’s most recent proposal, starting Friday.
The league also met with general managers Monday afternoon to share the March 10 date. This is believed to be the first deadline provided by the league to players and teams as negotiations have dragged on and the offseason has already been disrupted.
Even once a deal is agreed upon it can take several weeks to be formally approved. The WNBA is still required to hold a two-team expansion draft for the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire and hold free agency for 80% of the league.
Training camp is currently scheduled to begin on April 19, with the college draft scheduled for April 13. The regular session is scheduled to end on May 8.
“Too often, things get done at the 11th hour,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said of WNBA negotiations at NBA All-Star Weekend on Feb. 14. “We are getting very close to the 11th hour when it comes to negotiations.”
The two sides still do not agree on how the new revenue sharing system should work, which has been the primary stumbling block in negotiations. Housing, which has long been provided by teams but was not originally in the league’s proposals, has also been a major flash point.
Earlier on Monday, the union told ESPN’s Katie Barnes that the WNBA generated enough revenue to share revenue with its players in 2025, and $9.25 million from licensing revenue will also be divided among players.
WNBPA Treasurer Brianna Turner told Barnes, “It reflects our values and what we mean by what we’re fighting for and how we must keep fighting.”
