WNBPA and WNBA will not extend CBA deadline; sides will continue to negotiate ‘in good faith’ | Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — The WNBA and its players’ union will not agree to another collective bargaining agreement extension after the current deadline passes Friday night, WNBPA vice president Breanna Stewart said.

That does not mean players will strike or the league will lock them out. Stewart told reporters Thursday at an Unrivaled practice that the players would continue to negotiate in good faith.

kAm(:E9 E96 5625=:?6 ;FDE 367@C6 >:5?:89E uC:52J ?:89E[ E96 =628F6 H@F=5?VE 4@?7:C> E92E E96 EH@ D:56D H@?VE C6249 2? 6IE6?D:@?] p (}qp DA@<6D>2? 5:5 D2J E96 =628F6 H@F=5 “4@?E:?F6 E@ ?68@E:2E6 😕 8@@5 72:E9 H:E9 E96 8@2= @7 C6249:?8 2 562= 2D BF:4<=J 2D A@DD:3=6]”k^Am

kAm“~FC 7@4FD C6>2:?D @? C6249:?8 2? 28C66>6?E E92E D:8?:7:42?E=J :?4C62D6D A=2J6C 4@>A6?D2E:@? H9:=6 6?DFC:?8 E96 =@?8\E6C> 8C@HE9 @7 E96 3FD:?6DD[” 2 =628F6 DA@<6DA6CD@? D2:5]k^Am

kAm%96 =628F6 2?5 E96 A=2J6CD 92G6 925 EH@ AC6G:@FD 6IE6?D:@?D 2?5 92G6 >6E 😕 A6CD@? D6G6C2= E:>6D E9:D H66<] p?J DE2==65 ?68@E:2E:@?D 4@F=5 56=2J E96 DE2CE @7 E96 a_ae D62D@?] %96 =2DE rqp H2D 2??@F?465 😕 E96 >:55=6 @7 y2?F2CJ a_a_[ 2 >@?E9 27E6C :E 925 366? 28C665 E@]k^Am

kAmxE 4@F=5 62D:=J E2<6 EH@ >@?E9D 7C@> H96? 2 ?6H rqp 😀 C624965 E@ 86E E@ E96 DE2CE @7 7C66 286?4J[ H9:49 H2D DFAA@D65 E@ 368:? =2E6C E9:D >@?E9]k^Am

kAm(9:=6 2 DEC:<6 @C =@4<@FE :D?VE :>>:?6?E[ 3@E9 D:56D 4@F=5 492?86 E96:C G:6HA@:?ED]k^Am

kAm$E6H2CE D2:5 42==:?8 2 DEC:<6 😀 “?@E D@>6E9:?8 E92E H6’C6 8@:?8 E@ 5@ C:89E E9:D D64@?5[ 3FE H6 92G6 E92E 😕 @FC 324< A@4<6E]” %96 =628F6 92D?VE 366? 4@?D:56C:?8 2 =@4<@FE[ 244@C5:?8 E@ 2 A6CD@? 72>:=:2C H:E9 E96 564:D:@?] %96 A6CD@? DA@<6 E@ %96 pDD@4:2E65 !C6DD @? 4@?5:E:@? @7 2?@?J>:EJ %9FCD52J 3642FD6 @7 E96 D6?D:E:G6 ?2EFC6 @7 E96 ?68@E:2E:@?D]k^Am

kAmpD @7 %9FCD52J[ E96 D:56D C6>2:?65 72C 2A2CE @? >2?J <6J :DDF6D[ :?4=F5:?8 D2=2CJ 2?5 C6G6?F6 D92C:?8[ 2?5 :E D66>D F?=:<6=J 2 562= 4@F=5 92G6 366? C624965 367@C6 uC:52JVD 5625=:?6]k^Am

k9am#6G6?F6 D92C:?8 2 DE:4<:?8 A@:?E 😕 E2=

kAm%96 =628F6’D >@DE C646?E @776C =2DE >@?E9 H@F=5 8F2C2?E66 2 >2I:>F> 32D6 D2=2CJ @7 S` >:==:@? 😕 a_ae E92E 4@F=5 C6249 S`]b >:==:@? E9C@F89 C6G6?F6 D92C:?8] %92E’D FA 7C@> E96 4FCC6?E Sach[___ 2?5 4@F=5 8C@H E@ ?62C=J Sa >:==:@? @G6C E96 =:76 @7 E96 28C66>6?E[ 2 A6CD@? H:E9 @H=6586 @7 E96 ?68@E:2E:@?D E@=5 E96 p!] %96 A6CD@? DA@<6 @? 4@?5:E:@? @7 2?@?J>:EJ 3642FD6 @7 E96 D6?D:E:G6 ?2EFC6 @7 E96 ?68@E:2E:@?D]k^Am

kAm&?56C E96 =628F6VD AC@A@D2=[ A=2J6CD H@F=5 C646:G6 😕 6I46DD @7 f_T @7 ?6E C6G6?F6 — E9@F89 E92E H@F=5 36 E96:C E2<6 @7 E96 AC@7:ED 27E6C 6IA6?D6D 2C6 A2:5] %9@D6 6IA6?D6D H@F=5 :?4=F56 FA8C2565 724:=:E:6D[ 492CE6C 7=:89ED[ 7:G6\DE2C 9@E6=D[ >65:42= D6CG:46D[ D64FC:EJ 2?5 2C6?2D]k^Am

kAm%96 2G6C286 D2=2CJ 😕 a_ae H@F=5 36 >@C6 E92? Sdb_[___[ FA 7C@> :ED 4FCC6?E S`a_[___[ 2?5 8C@H E@ >@C6 E92? Sff_[___ @G6C E96 =:76 @7 E96 28C66>6?E] %96 >:?:>F> D2=2CJ H@F=5 8C@H 7C@> :ED 4FCC6?E Sef[___ E@ >@C6 E92? Sad_[___ 😕 E96 7:CDE J62C[ E96 A6CD@? E@=5 E96 p!]k^Am

kAm%96 AC@A@D2= H@F=5 2=D@ 7:?2?4:2==J A2J DE2C J@F?8 A=2J6CD =:<6 r2:E=:? r=2C<[ p?86= #66D6 2?5 !2:86 qF64<6CD[ H9@ 2C6 2== DE:== @? E96:C C@@<:6 4@?EC24ED[ ?62C=J 5@F3=6 E96 =628F6 >:?:>F>]k^Am

kAm#6G6?F6 D92C:?8 😀 @?6 @7 E96 >2;@C DE:4<:?8 A@:?ED 😕 E96 ?68@E:2E:@?D]k^Am

kAm%96 F?:@?VD 4@F?E6C AC@A@D2= E@ E96 =628F6 H@F=5 8:G6 A=2J6CD 2C@F?5 b_T @7 E96 8C@DD C6G6?F6] %96 A=2J6CVD A6C46?E286 H@F=5 36 7C@> >@?6J 86?6C2E65 367@C6 6IA6?D6D 7@C E96 7:CDE J62C 2?5 E62>D H@F=5 92G6 2 S`_]d >:==:@? D2=2CJ 42A E@ D:8? A=2J6CD] &?56C E96 F?:@?VD AC@A@D2=[ E96 C6G6?F6 D92C:?8 A6C46?E H@F=5 8@ FA D=:89E=J 6249 J62C]k^Am

k9am&?:@? H2?ED 6IA2?D:@? 766D :?4=F565j =628F6 D2J:?8 ?@k^9am

kAm%96 F?:@? 766=D E92E E96 Sfd_ >:==:@? 😕 6IA2?D:@? 766D E92E E96 =628F6 ;FDE C646:G65 H:E9 E96 255:E:@? @7 r=6G6=2?5[ s6EC@:E 2?5 !9:=256=A9:2 3J a_b_ D9@F=5 36 4@?D:56C65 C6G6?F6 2?5 :?4=F565 😕 AC@;64E:@?D] %96 =628F6 D2JD E92E E96 >@?6J 24EF2==J 8@6D E@ 2== E96 4FCC6?E E62>D E92E H6C6 😕 A=246 367@C6 6IA2?D:@? E@ >2<6 FA 7@C E96 7FEFC6 >@?6J E96J’== 36 =@D:?8 3J 5:G:5:?8 E96 E@E2= C6G6?F6 3J >@C6 7C2?49:D6D]k^Am

kAm~E96C >2;@C DA@CED =628F6D =:<6 E96 }qp[ }w{ 2?5 }u{ 5@?VE :?4=F56 6IA2?D:@? 766D 😕 E96:C C6G6?F6\D92C:?8 DECF4EFC6D] |2;@C {628F6 q2D632==VD D2=2CJ DECF4EFC6 😀 ?@E E:65 E@ :ED C6G6?F6[ D@ 6IA2?D:@? 766D 5@?VE >2EE6C]k^Am

k9am{628F6 H2?ED A=2J6CD E@ A2J 7@C @H? 9@FD:?8k^9am

kAm%96 =628F6 92D AC@A@D65 >2<:?8 A=2J6CD A2J 7@C E96:C 9@FD:?8 :?DE625 @7 92G:?8 E62>D 4@?E:?F6 E@ :?4FC E96 4@DED] (:E9 E96 A@E6?E:2= ?6H >:?:>F> D2=2CJ @G6C Sad_[___[ E96 (}qp 92D D2:5 E92E =:<6 >@DE 6G6CJ @E96C AC@ =628F6[ A=2J6CD D9@F=5 A2J 7@C E96:C @H? 9@FD:?8]k^Am

kAm%96 F?:@?VD DE2?46 😀 E92E E62>D D9@F=5 4@?E:?F6 E@ A2J 7@C A=2J6CDV 9@FD:?8]k^Am

k9am(9J DE2==65 ?68@E:2E:@?D 4@F=5 56=2J E96 D62D@?k^9am

kAmp? 6IE6?565 56=2J 😕 86EE:?8 2 562= 5@?6 4@F=5 42FD6 2 ?F>36C @7 AC@3=6>D[ DA64:7:42==J 86EE:?8 E96 D62D@? DE2CE65 @? E:>6 @C 6G6? A=2J65 7@C D6G6C2= C62D@?D] %96C6 2C6 D6G6C2= 724E@CD E92E :?5:42E6 E92E E:>6 😀 ?62Cik^Am

kAm— uC66 286?4Jk^Am

kAm(:E9 ?62C=J 2== E96 G6E6C2? A=2J6CD 7C66 286?ED E9:D @77D62D@?[ E9:D H:== 36 E96 3:886DE J62C 😕 E96 =628F6VD 9:DE@CJ 2D 72C 2D A@E6?E:2= >@G6>6?E] uC66 286?4J H2D DFAA@D65 E@ DE2CE =2E6C E9:D >@?E9] w@H6G6C[ @?46 2 ?6H rqp 😀 C624965[ :E 4@F=5 E2<6 3@E9 A2CE:6D EH@ >@?E9D E@ 86E 7C66 286?4J DE2CE65]k^Am

kAm— #6G6?F6\86?6C2E:?8 6G6?ED 4@F=5 36 56=2J65k^Am

kAm%96 =628F6 42?VE C6=62D6 2 D4965F=6 E@ :ED E62>D E@ D6== 82>6 E:4<6ED F?E:= E96 ?6H rqp 😀 564:565] pC6?2D H:== 36 4=2>@C:?8 E@ 7:== 42=6?52C 52E6D H:E9 6G6?ED] (:E9 D@ >2?J A=2J6CD A@E6?E:2==J 492?8:?8 E62>D 2D 7C66 286?ED[ ?6H >6C492?5:D6 H@F=5?VE 36 23=6 E@ 36 D@=5]k^Am

kAm— tIA2?D:@? 5C27Ek^Am

kAm(:E9 !@CE=2?5 2?5 %@C@?E@ 6?E6C:?8 E96 =628F6 E9:D J62C[ 2? 6IA2?D:@? 5C27E 92D E@ 36 96=5 7@C E96 EH@ ?6H E62>D] {2DE J62C H96? v@=56? $E2E6 42>6 :?E@ E96 (}qp[ 2 5C27E H2D 96=5 😕 s646>36C] rFCC6?E E62>D ?665 E@ 7:8FC6 @FE H9@ E96J H:== 36 AC@E64E:?8 7C@> 36:?8 D6=64E65 😕 E96 5C27E[ 2?5 E92E 😀 >256 >@C6 4@>A=:42E65 5F6 E@ 2== E96 7C66 286?ED]k^Am

k9C ^m

kAmp! (}qpi k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^H?32\32D<6E32==Qm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^H?32\32D<6E32==k^2mk^Am

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.