WNBA Warns Time Is Running Out in Dismissing Players' Latest CBA Proposal
Unfortunately for fans, the stalemate between the WNBA and the Players' Association continues during collective bargaining negotiations, with the prospect of the 2026 season being impacted heightening as each day passes.
The latest back-and-forth took place in quick succession, after the players sent a new proposal to the league on Tuesday. Per ESPN, the offer from the players included some concessions on revenue share and housing. However, any movement on those issues was clearly not to the satisfaction of the WNBA side.
Women's Fastbreak On SI obtained this statement from a WNBA spokesman in response to the proposal from the players:
“The Players Association’s latest proposal remains unrealistic and would cause hundreds of millions of dollars of losses for our teams. We still need to complete two Drafts and free agency before the start of training camp and are running out of time. We believe the WNBA’s proposal would result in a huge win for current players and generations to come.”
Per a source familiar with the situation, the WNBA believes the proposal from the players would result in losses of $460 million over the lifetime of the agreement, though the financial models behind that estimate have not been publicly released.
An Agreement Must Happen Fast to Preserve 2026 WNBA Season
As the WNBA's statement made clear, there is a lot of business to conduct between now and the scheduled start of the 2026 season in May.
This is why NBA Commissioner Adam Silver previously pleaded for urgency in CBA talks.
RELATED: Adam Silver Issues 11th Hour Warning Amid 'Unfortunate' WNBA CBA Stalemate
"What I'd love to accomplish is sort of putting pressure on everybody. I've been through so many cycles of collective bargaining and often things tend to get done in the 11th hour. We're getting awfully close to the 11th hour now when it comes to bargaining," Silver said at NBA All-Star weekend.
It is unclear exactly when an agreement would need to be reached to preserve the entirety of the season, but it is apparent the talks have entered an urgent stage.
The existing proposal from the WNBA would see an increase in player salaries, with the average player salary rising to over $535,000 in year one (up from $120,000) and the max salary approaching $1.3 million (from $250,000). However, the major hangup remains revenue share, with the players' side steadfast on receiving a larger share of gross revenue, meaning revenue before deducting expenses.
As of now, it appears the stalemate continues. And if the quick back-and-forth doesn't get the ball rolling on more movement soon, then the start of the 2026 WNBA season is in jeopardy of being delayed.
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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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