🗞️ WNBA Players and League Kick the Can Down the Road — Again
The WNBA and its players' union have agreed to yet another extension of their collective bargaining agreement, this time pushing the deadline to January 9, 2026. The two sides remain gridlocked over salary structure and revenue sharing.
Just before the previous 30-day extension expired at midnight on Sunday, November 30, 2025, the WNBA and the WNBA Players Association (WNBPA) announced a 40-day extension of the current collective bargaining agreement. The extension includes a clause allowing either party to terminate with 48 hours' notice, which is, well ... not reassuring.
The core dispute centers on how player salaries should be determined. The union wants a system tied directly to league revenue, similar to the NBA model where the salary cap is based on basketball-related income. The league, meanwhile, has offered significant salary increases — including minimum salaries jumping from $66,079 to over $220,000 — but through a fixed-rate structure that players believe won't adequately grow with the business.
This is the second extension in this negotiation cycle. The first CBA in 2020 also required a 60-day extension before ratification. Perhaps if these conversations had been happening before the union opted out, both sides might have avoided this extended game of chicken.
Key Points
- CBA extended to January 9, 2026, with 48-hour termination option for either party
- Salary structure and revenue sharing remain the primary sticking points
- League offered minimum salary increase from $66,079 to over $220,000
- Players want salary cap tied to league revenue (NBA model), not fixed annual increases
- Current CBA has 3% annual salary cap growth; players want revenue-based system
- Expansion draft for Portland and Toronto, plus free agency, delayed until new CBA is signed
- WNBA players currently receive approximately 9% of league revenues, compared to 50% in NBA/NHL
Primary Source Author: Various Authors including Associated Press (Doug Feinberg)
Primary Source: Various outlets (ESPN, Associated Press, Yahoo Sports, Sportico)
Links:
https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/47160077/wnba-players-union-agree-40-day-extension-cba
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/wnba-players-union-extend-cba-045328996.html
https://www.sportico.com/leagues/basketball/2025/wnba-union-cba-update-debate-deadline-1234877774/
https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/wings/2025/12/01/wnba-players-union-extend-cba-deadline-just-before-previous-extension-expires/
