The WNBA and its players’ union, the WNBPA, are currently stuck in negotiations as the deadline for a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) nears on Friday, January 9th. The league has maintained the same terms it offered in December, leading to a deadlock.
WNBPA Vice President Nafeesa Collier acknowledged the standstill during a January 5th interview on “Good Morning America,” noting the urgency as the current agreement expires soon. Collier, who co-founded the 3-on-3 league Unrivaled with Brianna Stewart, expressed that while none of the players want a work stoppage, they remain firm in seeking fair compensation.
Collier highlighted that Unrivaled demonstrates that it’s possible to pay players well while running a successful business model, a goal she hopes to see realized in the WNBA. She expressed confidence in the players’ demands and pride in their ongoing efforts to create opportunities that prove these goals are achievable.
In December, WNBA players granted the WNBPA executive committee the authority to call a strike if necessary. This comes after the CBA’s deadline, originally October 31, was extended twice and is now set to end on January 9, 2026.
The WNBA’s current offer includes a base salary reaching up to $1 million and incorporates a revenue-sharing component designed to boost the maximum player’s gross salary to over $1.3 million by 2026, according to a source familiar with the discussions. The proposal also aims to increase the minimum salary to at least $250,000 and the average salary to around $530,000.
Players have emphasized the importance of revenue sharing and a wider salary range in the talks. Reports indicate the league proposed a 15% revenue share while the players are pushing for 30%. There is also disagreement over the percentage and methods used for calculating the salary cap.
WNBPA Executive Director Terry Jackson commented that players are focused on the real financial impacts rather than sensationalism. She emphasized that players want a significant share of the revenue they help generate and to be properly valued in the negotiations, not just receive a small portion of the profits.
Jackson also speculated that if the players had known the current structure would yield less than 15% of the league’s income, they wouldn’t have accepted the 2020 CBA, which had a fixed salary system offering less than 10%. The league’s business has grown substantially, with expectations of continuing sustainable growth, raising questions about the fairness of the current offer when considering the investment and support from stakeholders in women’s sports.
Fan Take: This negotiation deadlock is critical for WNBA fans because it highlights the ongoing struggle for fair player compensation and respect within the league. The outcome could set a precedent for how women’s professional sports are valued and supported, potentially shaping the future growth and sustainability of the WNBA.
