While the WNBA and Women’s National Basketball Player’s Association (WNBPA) have agreed to a 30-day extension with the CBA set to expire on Friday, Oct. 31, it comes with a stipulation for an opt out.
‘The WNBPA Executive Committee agreed to the league’s proposed 30-day extension of the current CBA, with the condition that the players may terminate the extension at any time with 48 hours’ notice,’ read a statement from the players’ association.
‘While we believed negotiations would be further along, the players are more focused, united and determined than ever to reach an agreement that reflects their value and undeniable impact on the league.’
A source with knowledge of the situation said the WNBA can also walk away 48 hours’ notice. The extension takes the current CBA out to Nov. 30 to allow more time for an agreement to be reached without a work stoppage, the result of which could be a lockout by the owners or a strike by the players.
The WNBA and players’ association are trying to find compromise on revenue sharing and pay structure. The players are seeking a revenue-sharing model that ensures their salaries grow with the league, while the WNBA has offered a fixed salary system and capped revenue-sharing plan. The league’s most recent proposal, according to multiple reports, included a supermax salary near $850,000 and a veteran minimum around $300,000.
In a statement the WNBA released on Oct. 22, it said: ‘The comprehensive proposals we have made to the players include a revenue sharing component that would result in the players’ compensation increasing as league revenue increases – without any cap on the upside.’
Negotiations reached a boiling point this week when the sides released competing statements about who was at fault for the impasse. The WNBPA alleged the league offered ‘more of the same’ in its latest proposal while the WNBA accused the players’ association of ‘disseminating public misinformation.’
The 30-day extension will likely impact the 2026 WNBA draft lottery, which typically is held before the end of the calendar year. The 2025 draft lottery was held Nov. 17, 2024 and the 2024 edition took place on Dec. 10, 2023. The league must also squeeze in expansion drafts for the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire before the year ends. Both are contingent on a new CBA.
‘Obviously we need to get a collective bargaining agreement done before we will probably have those expansion drafts, as well as the draft lottery,’ Engelbert said on Oct. 3. ‘So those are the two things we usually do before the calendar year end, leading into the free agency and ultimately the draft in the spring.’