Latest on WNBA CBA Negotiations as Concessions Reportedly Made By Players’ Association

On Tuesday, the Women’s National Basketball Players’ Association reportedly submitted a counterproposal to the WNBA’s previous proposal as the two sides continue to negotiate on a new collective bargaining agreement.

ESPN’s Alexa Philippou reported the latest proposal included concessions on issues such as housing and revenue sharing.

The players’ union previously proposed in December that players receive an average of 31 percent of the gross revenue over the course of the new CBA with a starting point of 28 percent in the first year and a salary cap of approximately $10.5 million.

Philippou reported the latest proposal calls for players to receive an average of 27.5 percent of gross revenue over the CBA with a starting point of 25 percent in the first season and a salary cap of less than $9.5 million.

According to the report, the league believes the revenue sharing system should be based on net revenue, while the players’ union wants it to be based on gross revenue (revenue before deducting expenses).

The league’s proposal, which arrived in early February as a response to the union’s previous proposal around Christmas, called for the players to receive an average of approximately 70 percent of net revenue with a $5.65 million salary cap in 2026 that would increase with revenue growth.

The salary cap in 2025 was approximately $1.5 million.

As for the housing issue, the union’s latest proposal calls for the WNBA to provide housing for the first several years of a new CBA before it eventually would not have to do so for players on multiyear deals of full salary protection who are close to the maximum salary.

The league’s proposal called for the WNBA to provide one-bedroom apartments for the first three years of a new CBA for players on minimum salary or those with zero years of service.

While the WNBA has provided housing for players since 1999, the most recent CBA had the league provide it through one-bedroom apartments or stipends.

There is no agreement in place, but the WNBA did release its schedule for the upcoming 2026 season.

It is slated to run from Friday, May 8 through Thursday, Sept. 24 and will be the league’s 30th anniversary. The Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo will also be introduced as two new teams in the WNBA during the season.

Each team is scheduled to play 44 contests.