Labor negotiations in the WNBA have now dragged on for more than a year and still feature docuseries-level drama.<\/p>\n
Last week, the players\u2019 union voted to
authorize a strike \u201cif necessary,\u201d though WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike emphasized that players still hope it won\u2019t come to that. The league, meanwhile, accused the union of misrepresenting the state of negotiations and rejected the notion that it is resisting change.<\/p>\n
What comes next is anyone\u2019s guess. No matter how this plays out, though, fans should stay focused on three fundamentals: time, money and the balance of power.<\/p>\n
Time: A rushed offseason risks turning chaotic<\/p>\n
Even without the CBA drama, the 2026 offseason was always going to be a little messy. There\u2019s an expansion draft for new teams in Portland and Toronto, and a free-agent class that includes nearly every veteran in the league.<\/p>\n
But CBA negotiations threaten to turn the offseason into a logistical nightmare.<\/p>\n
Typically, the WNBA offseason unfolds early in the calendar year. Free agents do a round of speed dating with teams, and by late February most contracts have been signed. By mid-April, the college draft has come and gone.<\/p>\n
If a new CBA gets signed by the current Jan. 9 deadline, there\u2019s still a chance to preserve something close to the usual rhythm. But what if talks drag on?<\/p>\n
If an agreement isn\u2019t reached until, say, March 1, teams would have roughly six weeks to run an expansion draft, negotiate with free agents and finalize rosters around the college draft. That\u2019s hardly ideal for such a pivotal important moment in the league\u2019s history.<\/p>\n
Money: Players will get a raise, but maybe not radical change<\/p>\n
With a new media deal coming into effect in 2026 and attendance rising across the league, players are all but guaranteed a massive raise.<\/p>\n
One recent league proposal included maximum salaries topping $1 million at the high end and minimums around $250,000. Those figures would rise over the life of the deal and could include upside from revenue sharing.<\/p>\n
Given that WNBA salaries currently range from $66,000-250,000, that would be a major jump. Compared to other women\u2019s sports, it\u2019s a slam dunk. The NWSL minimum salary is around $50,000 while in professional women\u2019s hockey, it\u2019s closer to $35,000.<\/p>\n
So why did WNBA players balk at the deal?<\/p>\n
Because they\u2019re pushing for a bigger structural change<\/a>. Players want their salaries set the way they are in major men\u2019s leagues: as a share of total league revenue. The Athletic reported that WNBA players are pushing for close to 30% of total league revenue, while the league has offered to share only a subset of revenue.<\/p>\n Historically, the kind of revenue sharing proposed by the players doesn\u2019t come easy. Owners resist it because it moves players closer to equity partners than employees. In the WNBA, there\u2019s even more reason for resistance because there are more mouths to feed on the ownership side. Beyond the 15 team owners (and counting), the NBA still owns a majority of the league.<\/a><\/p>\n Power: Player power is rising, but the NBA still calls the shots<\/p>\n Player power has grown substantially since the last CBA in 2020, in part because of the emergence of alternative women\u2019s basketball leagues. At Unrivaled, which now employs more than a third of the WNBA, players can earn around $220,000 per season, plus equity. Another startup league, Project B,<\/a> will launch in November 2026 and has reportedly offered players salaries worth millions.<\/p>\n More and more players do not count the WNBA as their primary source of income. That strengthens their argument for higher pay (\u201cpay us the market rate\u201d) and makes the threat of a strike more credible (\u201cwe won\u2019t go broke without you\u201d).<\/p>\n Increased visibility is another bargaining chip. The league\u2019s stars now command far more attention than in other women\u2019s sports, in some cases even rivaling men\u2019s sports. Caitlin Clark, for example, is a bigger name than most of the NBA\u2019s young stars.<\/p>\n But that leverage cuts both ways.<\/p>\n Even players acknowledge that losing the WNBA platform would hurt their visibility. The league remains far more popular than Unrivaled or Athletes Unlimited, and its ecosystem drives endorsement value.<\/p>\n The final wrinkle is the NBA itself. Commissioner Adam Silver recently offered to step in to negotiations, like a reluctant dad who\u2019d hoped the kids might work it out themselves. With so much power still resting in the hands of the WNBA\u2019s parent company, maybe negotiations should have started, not ended, with Silver.<\/p>\n Final word \u2022 Retirement and mental-health benefits for players.<\/p>\n \u2022 Roster sizes.<\/p>\n \u2022 Organizational staffing requirements.<\/p>\n \u2022 Number of games and the season\u2019s footprint.<\/p>\n
Even once the question of salary structure is settled, there\u2019s a long list of issues left to hammer out, including:<\/p>\n