WNBA executives and the players\u2019 union convened for several hours on Monday in New York to push forward negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), amid concerns that ongoing discussions might delay the start of the 2026 season. This latest meeting marked the first face-to-face gathering since the WNBA playoffs, occurring just 95 days before the season is set to begin.<\/p>\n
After nearly three hours inside the Olympic Tower, Liberty owner Clara Wu Tsai was the first to depart, followed by player Stephanie Dolson. WNBPA President Nneka Ogwumike, along with players Brianna Turner, Alisha Clark, and union Executive Director Terry Carmichael Jackson, exited shortly thereafter. When asked to comment, Ogwumike declined, and the league also chose not to provide any statements.<\/p>\n
According to a source familiar with the talks, the meeting was seen as \u201ca step back in the right direction,\u201d but no new proposals were presented. The players\u2019 association is still awaiting a reply to a proposal it submitted six weeks ago. The absence of a counteroffer from the league reportedly set an unproductive tone early in the discussions. Instead of negotiating terms, both parties spent time sharing their perspectives and reasons behind their stances. The union left expecting a counterproposal \u201csoon,\u201d although no specific timeline has been announced.<\/p>\n
Players Kelsey Plumb and Nafeesa Collier were intended to attend in person but joined virtually due to travel issues, as did about 40 others, including stars Brianna Stewart and Elizabeth Williams. Present at the meeting were WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, Connecticut Sun President Jennifer Rizzotti, and members of the league’s Labor Relations Committee, with Seattle co-owner Sue Bird attending in person and Mercury owner Matt Ishbia participating online.<\/p>\n
Plumb expressed optimism last week at a tour event in Philadelphia, noting the meeting would be a valuable learning experience. However, progress has been slow, with frustrations rising among players due to the league\u2019s delayed response to recent offers. Liberty guard Natasha Cloud emphasized the standoff, saying, \u201cWe\u2019re not moving out until you guys move out.\u201d<\/p>\n
The core dispute revolves around financial terms: players are requesting approximately 30% of total revenue and a $10.5 million salary cap, while the WNBA has proposed a 70% share of net revenue\u2014in effect around 15% of the league\u2019s total revenue\u2014and a $5 million salary cap. With no new agreement in place, the league\u2019s offseason activities\u2014including the expansion draft, free agency, and college draft\u2014are on hold. Talk of a strike remains a realistic option, with Azra Stevens recently voicing readiness to take such action if necessary.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf the league wants to play and we don\u2019t have a CBA, I have the money. I\u2019m getting paid by Unrivaled and I have other income,\u201d Stevens said. \u201cSo this is really their loss. I think it\u2019s just ridiculous that they\u2019re dragging it out this long.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fan Take:<\/strong> WNBA executives and the players\u2019 union convened for several hours on Monday in New York to push forward negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), amid concerns that ongoing discussions might delay the start of the 2026 season. This latest meeting marked the first face-to-face gathering since the WNBA playoffs, occurring just 95 days […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":41226,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[491],"tags":[39,64],"class_list":{"0":"post-41225","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-wnba","8":"tag-basketball","9":"tag-nba"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41225","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41225"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41225\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/41226"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41225"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41225"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41225"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nThis stalled negotiation is critical for WNBA fans because it directly affects the league\u2019s future and the players\u2019 ability to earn fair compensation. A timely and fair CBA is essential not only to kick off the 2026 season on schedule but also to elevate the sport\u2019s growth and ensure its athletes are valued appropriately.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"