WNBA, players union extend CBA deadline to Jan. 9

The WNBA and the players union agreed to extend the current collective bargaining agreement until Jan. 9, shortly before the current deadline expired Sunday night.

As with the previous renewal, both parties have the option to terminate the renewal with 48 hours notice.

Both sides announced a 30-day extension to the original October 31 deadline. That extension was set to expire Sunday night just before midnight. They met over the holiday weekend in hopes of reaching an agreement.

The union proposed a six-week extension after the league offered a shorter one.

“We expect significant progress from the league during this period,” the union said in a statement.

With nothing urgent on the immediate horizon other than the Portland-Toronto expansion project, it is unlikely that either side will take the opportunity to stop the extension.

Golden State's expansion draft last season took place in December.

Free agency will be the next big thing for both sides. This is usually done at the end of January. This is an unprecedented offseason in which all but two of the league's veteran players are free agents. Players signed one-year contracts last season knowing the salaries would be huge once the new CBA was agreed upon.

Both sides sent updated proposals back and forth and met frequently, including on Sunday. Wages and income distribution are the two biggest sticking points between the parties. Earlier this month, the league put forward a proposal that would include revenue sharing and a $1.1 million salary cap available to more than one player on a team, which would rise each year.

Other things players are pushing for include increasing pension benefits, codifying the league's charter flights and introducing minimum standards for team amenities.

When the previous CBA agreement expired in 2019, both sides agreed to a 60-day extension, and the new agreement was eventually ratified in January 2020.