Where WNBA CBA Negotiations Stand After League's Latest Proposal
There has been one piece of movement on the WNBA CBA front, as the league has sent a new proposal to the players' association. What remains unanswered is whether this will lead to any progress in what has been a stalemate in collective bargaining negotiations thus far.
The players side has repeatedly pointed to the lack of a response to their last proposal that was sent back in December, with the league's position having been that it was not materially different enough from previous versions to warrant one. However, following a meeting between the parties on Monday, an official counter has now been submitted.
The full details of the proposal are unclear, though a source with knowledge of the situation indicates owners did move on two high priority issues the players raised in the meeting, facility standards and player housing. The proposal also includes an incremental increase in the salary cap.
However, there doesn't appear to be a significant change on the biggest sticking point in talks to this juncture—revenue share.
This begs the question: What happens next?
Will WNBA Players Strike?
The threat of a strike has loomed throughout this process and the players' association has already secured the authorization from its members to enact one.
And it didn't go unnoticed when the WNBAPA's Instagram account shared a video about the 1964 NBA All-Star strike, one complete with the caption, "Sometime's timing is everything in a strike."
Notably, the NBA All-Star game takes place next weekend in Los Angeles, so the timing of the post referencing timing hardly seems like a coincidence, even if it was intended as a warning.
Can the 2026 WNBA Season Start on Time?
The WNBA released the 2026 schedule in January, but in order to hit the May 8 start date, a lot of business must be conducted first, and that's after any additional back-and-forth between the two sides in negotiations.
An expansion draft for the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire needs to take place, as well as a free agency period where nearly the entire league will be on the market, followed by the WNBA Draft in April.
So, with each passing day the standoff continues, the possibility of the season having to be delayed becomes more and more of a reality.
Are All the Players on the Same Page?
Many of the league's most high profile voices have expressed a desire to play this season. That includes players' association president Nneka Ogwumike, New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart, and the league's biggest star Caitlin Clark, who shared her confidence that a deal will get done in her debut as an analyst for NBC's NBA coverage.
Of course, that doesn't mean the players are set to concede their position, but there are rumblings of differing perspectives amongst the members of the union on the progress that has been made.
Stewart has previously discussed how the majority of the league is not in a financial position to miss pay, and the offer on the table from the WNBA will see average salaries increase by more than 4x in 2026.
Adding to @alexaphilippou recap from yesterday, ESPN has obtained some of the information that was was presented to players at yesterday’s meeting—summarizing the WNBA’s current positions https://t.co/imM5elSO6H pic.twitter.com/T9p2XRP42n
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) February 3, 2026
As of now the situation is seemingly status quo, but something is going to have to give in the WNBA CBA stalemate—and soon.
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Robin Lundberg is a media veteran and hoops head who has spent the bulk of his career with iconic brands like Sports Illustrated and ESPN. His insights have also been featured on platforms such as Fox and CNN and he can currently be heard hosting shows for Sirius XM and on his burgeoning YouTube show. And now he brings his basketball expertise to Women's Fastbreak on SI!
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