Alexa Philippou
Ramona Shelburne
Shut
Ramona Shelburne
ESPN Senior Author
- Senior author for ESPN.com
- Spent seven years on the Los Angeles Every day Information
The WNBA and WNBA Gamers Affiliation agreed to an extension on the present CBA via Jan. 9, as they appear to proceed negotiations towards a brand new deal, the league introduced.
The settlement contains the choice for both get together to terminate the extension with 48 hours’ advance discover.
Each side agreed to the extension shortly earlier than their Sunday 11:59 p.m. ET deadline. The union proposed a six-week extension after initially discussing a 24-hour extension, sources mentioned, whereas the league pushed for a 21-day one.
“The WNBA and WNBPA are persevering with to work towards a brand new settlement,” the league mentioned of their assertion Sunday night time.
The Gamers and league beforehand prolonged the preliminary Oct. 31 deadline by 30 days final month.
Sunday’s transfer comes as the 2 sides have seemingly remained far aside amid negotiations significantly in figuring out wage construction and income sharing programs.
In accordance with a Nov. 18 report by the Related Press, later confirmed by ESPN, the WNBA had proposed a deal that includes important wage will increase in addition to a income sharing element, in all providing gamers on the most greater than $1.1 million and on the minimal greater than $220,000. The league’s minimal wage was $66,079 in 2025 and its supermax was $249,244.
However the WNBPA and gamers weren’t moved by the proposal, sources advised ESPN, as they felt it didn’t function a system the place the wage cap, and thus participant salaries, would sufficiently develop with the enterprise — akin to within the NBA, the place the wage cap is straight decided by basketball-related earnings (BRI). Gamers now not desire a wage cap that, of their view, is chosen arbitrarily ($1,507,100 in 2025) and grows at a hard and fast charge (3% annually underneath the present CBA).
The present settlement additionally has a separate income sharing provision that grants direct funds to gamers if the league hits sure income targets (this has but to occur, largely because of the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic).
For the reason that league’s proposal leaked, the WNBA and union despatched up to date proposals backwards and forwards and met regularly, together with on Sunday. Different priorities the gamers are pushing for embody establishing minimal skilled requirements in services, codifying the league’s constitution journey program, and increasing retirement and being pregnant/household planning advantages.
The league has mentioned it needs to considerably enhance participant salaries and different price commitments, whereas additionally incentivizing house owners to proceed to put money into working the enterprise. The WNBA’s speedy development lately supplies a possibility for the enterprise to go from working at losses to, the league hopes, constructing sustained profitability.