WNBA CBA Talks Show Signs of Progress Ahead of Monday Deadline
The light at the end of the tunnel appears to be emerging when it comes to the WNBA CBA saga.
After months of little to no movement on a new collective bargaining agreement, discussions were taken to a new level this week, with the league and players' association holding marathon negotiating sessions for several days running.
And after the latest meeting on Friday, there was a noticeable shift in tone about the possibility of getting a deal done—in a positive direction.
WNBPA executive director Terri Carmichael Jackson spoke to reporters following the latest session and specified that the two sides are working toward addressing each other's concerns.
"As long as movement keeps us going in a forward direction, then I think we're good," Jackson said per Alexa Philippou of ESPN.
Terri Carmichael Jackson just spoke with reporters on site.
— Alexa Philippou (@alexaphilippou) March 13, 2026
She said movement is still the word on Day Four of these marathon CBA negotiations.
"I think the league, and particularly the commissioner and her team, have heard that transformational remains the goal." (1/2)
The remarks from Jackson seem significant because previously the union had drawn a more hardline stance, with the threat of a strike often being cited. However, that tone is now clearly focused on getting a deal done.
Cathy Engelbert Sets Monday Deadline for New CBA
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert also addressed the state of negotiations, emphasizing that progress has been made. Engelbert's comments came with a sense of urgency, as she shared that a deal would need to be reached by Monday in order to keep the league's calendar intact and avoid impacting training camp and potentially canceling preseason games.
Commissioner Cathy Engelbert just spoke with the media on site, sharing that progress has been made while also emphasizing time is of the essence.
— Annie Costabile (@AnnieCostabile) March 14, 2026
She said a deal by Monday is critical in avoiding disruptions to the preseason calendar.
The commissioner did express confidence in that happening, saying, “Cathy Engelbert’s opinion, yes," when asked whether she thought an agreement would be reached by the end of the weekend, according to Annie Costabile of Front Office Sports.
The WNBA Has Much Business to Conduct
The reason for urgency is the calendar. The WNBA had previously set a deadline of March 10 to avoid schedule disruptions, but that has obviously been extended due to the positive progress in talks.
Still, the league must fit in expansion drafts for the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo, a free agency period where a majority of players will be seeking new contracts, and the WNBA Draft (April 13) all before training camp begins and the season commences on May 8.
A potential timeline for those events was shared by Doug Feinberg of The Associated Press, with the expansion drafts taking place between April 1-6, and the free agent signing period happening April 12-18 (though those dates were based on the original March 10 deadline).
that's based on a timeline with a deal done by March 10; we are obviously past that date now. So it could change. https://t.co/pIB9GHZAh8
— Doug Feinberg (@DougFeinberg) March 14, 2026
The good news is it now seems like a matter of when and not if on a new deal being reached, which would be a relief to all WNBA fans who have been following along with the CBA soap opera. Hopefully said deal can be completed by Monday, proving Engelbert correct and keeping the 2026 season intact.
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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