NEW YORK — Subsequent to an exhaustive, twelve-hour negotiation session, which stretched from Tuesday evening into Wednesday morning, the WNBA and its players’ association failed to finalize an accord for a renewed collective bargaining pact.
These discussions transpired on the designated date set by the league for the union and its member teams the previous month, aimed at completing a preliminary agreement to avert any repercussions for the 2026 schedule.
Terri Jackson, the executive director of the Women’s National Basketball Players Association, informed journalists that the deliberation period involved “much discussion progressing positively,” whereas WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert appended that “we are striving diligently … and much remains to be accomplished.”
Commencing at 5 p.m. ET on Tuesday, the gathering occurred exclusively face-to-face and was held at a Midtown Manhattan lodging establishment, deemed an impartial venue for the two factions. Alongside personnel from both the league and the WNBPA, four out of the seven executive committee members of the WNBPA were present: president Nneka Ogwumike, vice presidents Breanna Stewart and Alysha Clark, and treasurer Brianna Turner.
Representing the league were Engelbert, Bethany Donaphin (the head of league operations), and Clara Wu Tsai (owner of the New York Liberty), among other individuals.
The athletes departed the session shortly before 3 a.m., while deliberations persisted among personnel from the league and the union. The players chose not to offer remarks regarding the discussions. The union and league concluded their conversations approximately two hours subsequent to that.
Engelbert offered a brief statement to journalists but refrained from answering inquiries, stating that both parties are diligently striving to achieve a mutually beneficial agreement.
She characterized the discussions as “intricate” and “involved,” and emphasized that seeking a transformative accord was “exceptionally vital for the trajectory not merely of the league, but of women’s athletics as a whole.”
When queried about any signs suggesting an agreement might be finalized in the days ahead, Jackson replied that “dialogue remains ongoing, and it is imperative that it does.”
“Each gathering proves constructive,” Jackson asserted. “Truly, every single meeting is advantageous. The circumstance that we arrange meetings, propose times for further discussions, and physically convene and enter the meeting space — I deem that beneficial. The process is consuming the necessary time. However, as you comprehend, that is precisely how it must proceed.”
Engelbert refrained from disclosing the extent of the league’s adaptability concerning its March 10 “cutoff date,” other than stating, “this agreement must be concluded. It must be finalized swiftly.”
The commencement of training camp is slated for April 19, and the WNBA draft is scheduled for April 13. Furthermore, the league is obligated to conduct an expansion draft for two teams and manage free agency for over 100 athletes prior to the season’s inauguration, presently designated for May 8.
The two factions have maintained considerable disagreement primarily concerning revenue distribution, with other significant matters encompassing team-furnished accommodation, modification of the core player designation, and advantages for former players.
The WNBA has suggested that players obtain, on average, more than 70% of the net income (which is revenue post-expense deduction). Their proposition featured a salary ceiling of $5.75 million in 2026 (an increase from $1.5 million in 2026), which in succeeding years would escalate commensurate with income expansion.
The league’s submissions have incorporated peak remunerations, encompassing profit-sharing disbursements, totaling almost $1.3 million in 2026 and anticipated to near $2 million by 2031. The super-maximum salary for 2025 stood at $249,000. The mean player compensation, with profit-sharing included, was forecasted to attain $540,000 in 2026 and $780,000 by 2031, an increment from $120,000 in 2025.
Within its prior proposition, the players’ association requested that athletes be allocated 26% of the gross income (revenue prior to expenses) throughout the duration of the accord, establishing the salary ceiling for the initial year of the pact at approximately $9.5 million.
The association has taken umbrage with the league’s suggestion, which totals under 15% of gross income, whereas the WNBA has labeled the union’s propositions as “impractical” and asserted that they would lead to financial deficits amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars.