AVANDATIMES.COM – Negotiations between the WNBA and its players’ union have entered a high-stakes final phase as the Monday, March 16, deadline arrives with several core economic issues still on the table. Following a week of marathon discussions in New York, including a Sunday session that stretched into the early hours of Monday morning, both sides remain locked in talks to secure a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) that Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has characterized as potentially transformative for the league.

Marathon Sessions and the Race Against the Calendar

The intensity of the negotiations reached a peak over the weekend, with representatives from the league and the WNBA Players Association (WNBPA) meeting from noon on Sunday until approximately 3 a.m. ET on Monday. Despite the grueling schedule, the two parties returned to the negotiating table on Monday afternoon to address lingering disagreements regarding the league’s financial structure and player benefits.

Commissioner Engelbert, speaking to reporters during the ongoing talks, emphasized the complexity of the deal. “We’re working as hard as we can to get it done as quickly as possible,” Engelbert said. “It’s complex. There’s a lot. There’s a lot of system elements. There’s a lot of structure elements. … This is a big, big league, and we want to do everything we can for the players. So, we’re going to keep making progress.”

Financial Sticking Points: Revenue and Salary Caps

The primary obstacles to a final agreement center on how the league’s growing wealth should be distributed. AvandaTimes observed that the gap between the union’s demands and the league’s offers remains significant, particularly regarding the definition of revenue sharing and the ceiling for team payrolls.

MetricWNBPA ProposalWNBA Latest OfferRevenue Sharing~25% of Gross Revenue>70% of Net RevenueYear 1 Salary CapUnder $9.5 Million$6.2 MillionMax Base SalaryN/AOver $1.3 Million

While the league’s current offer of a $6.2 million salary cap represents a fourfold increase over the 2025 limit, the union is pushing for a higher threshold to reflect the sport’s surging popularity. Additionally, housing remains a critical point of emphasis as players seek better living conditions and subsidies across all franchise markets.

Player Resolve and Potential Season Delays

The pressure to reach a deal is compounded by the looming 2026 basketball calendar. Training camps are currently scheduled to open on April 19, with the regular season set to begin on May 8. When asked if a delay in reaching a deal would push back the start of camp, Engelbert admitted the uncertainty. “I wish I knew the answer to that. I do not know the answer to that,” said Engelbert. “But you see us here at three in the morning, four in the morning, at five in the morning. So that gives an indication that both sides are motivated at that time.”

The resolve of the players has been a defining theme of this cycle. Deb Willig, outside counsel for the WNBPA, suggested that the league may have miscalculated the players’ determination. “I think the why, frankly, is because the league underestimated, seriously, the resolve of the players & what they sought to achieve,” Willig said. This sentiment was echoed by veteran Natasha Cloud, who expressed gratitude for the union’s preparation on social media, stating, “We’re gonna change the entire landscape of what respect & value looks like financially in women’s sports.”

Impact on Expansion and the 2026 Draft

According to AvandaTimes monitoring, the lack of a finalized CBA has created a logistical bottleneck for the league’s expansion plans. The Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire are scheduled to join the WNBA in 2026, but the format and rules for their expansion draft cannot be finalized until the new agreement is signed. This delay also affects the free agency period, which is expected to see an unprecedented number of players hitting the market as they waited for the new salary structures to take effect.

Despite the tension, the league remains hopeful that a term sheet can be signed within the next 24 to 48 hours, which would allow the 2026 season to proceed as planned. However, with a 98% strike authorization vote already in place from December 2025, the players have made it clear they are prepared to hold out for a deal that meets their valuation of the league’s future.