How Most Recent WNBA CBA Changes Could Affect the Sun and Other Teams in 2026

The WNBA CBA negotiations will continue once again with a long-term agreement not completed, and the requests made by both sides could affect the 2026 season.

Jeremy Trottier | Dec 4, 2025

Jun 17, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; A Wilson official WNBA Evo NXT basketball with the Commissioner's Cup logo during the game between the Seattle Storm and the LA Sparks at Crypto.com Arena. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The WNBA CBA negotiations have been a talking point ever since the 2025 season ended, and even before that, as many knew it was going to be a highly contested period. Both sides of this negotiation process have been trying to get a reasonable resolution for their respective members, and ultimately, it has led to delays and extensions, which will now move all the way over into 2026.

Initially, the CBA deadline was pushed back to November 30, and an agreement on a long-term deal was not found then either, so both sides have agreed to extend the current CBA through January 9 of next year, allowing them time to continue to figure out a middle-ground, while also hopefully allowing for a somewhat normal start to the offseason process until then.

Statement to ESPN from the WNBA: “The WNBA and WNBPA have agreed to extend the current CBA through January 9, 2026, with either party having the option to terminate the extension with 48 hours’ advance notice. The WNBA and WNBPA are continuing to work toward a new agreement.”
— Alexa Philippou (@alexaphilippou) December 1, 2025

Reports almost immediately followed this news with information about the deal being offered by the WNBA prior to this, and what both sides were ultimately looking for out of these negotiations as they continue through the end of 2025.

What Are Both Sides Requesting According to Recent Reports?

Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Starting off with the initial proposal, there were two components that made things rather intriguing: financials and direct impact components.

Regarding the financials, Khristina Williams of NBC Sports reported what was offered here, which included a $1 million base salary for max players, higher revenue-sharing allotments, and some gradually increasing figures surrounding other revenue and contract numbers.

Following that, Annie Costabile of Front Office Sports reported that the league was looking to cut team housing and wanted an earlier start date to the season, in the offer they provided.

Finally, Kareem Copeland of The Washington Post reported what both sides were looking for in a potential CBA in the future. This included the league proposing a 10 to 14 percent share of total league revenue, and players wanting multiple key components on their contracts and benefits.

There is good and bad news with all of this, both for the Connecticut Sun and the WNBA as a whole. The good news is that the extension provides more time for negotiations while also hopefully allowing a semi-normal offseason process to occur. On the negative side, neither party is content with the negotiations as-is, so this may end up all being for nought if they cannot find a mutual point of agreement by the new deadline.

Hopefully, an agreement can be found before then, and the season can continue while both sides get what they want out of this. For now, though, it will remain a point of discussion for the next two months.

What Are Both Sides Requesting According to Recent Reports?

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