WNBA, players union reportedly agree to CBA extension as negotiations continue

On Wednesday, the WNBA offered the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBPA) a 30-day extension to continue negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement. The WNBA accepted the opportunity Thursday, just hours before The current CBA expires on Friday.in accordance with Athletic.

This is not the first time that the parties have required a delay to complete negotiations on a new agreement. In fact, the extension was used to ratify the current CBA. In 2019, both sides announced a 60-day extension before agreeing to a new deal in January 2020.

If the league and players can't ultimately agree on the terms of a new CBA, the next major step could be a work stoppage – most likely through the owners locking out the players, although the players could also go on strike. At that point, all league activity will cease – players will not even be able to access training facilities – but negotiations will continue.

However, both sides may first enter a period of status quo, during which the terms of the current agreement will remain in effect, although not for a set period of time. According to the Cornell Law Review: “Courts have developed the status quo doctrine with Katz prohibition of unilateral changes. This doctrine requires employers to “maintain the status quo regarding terms and conditions of employment during negotiations to avoid committing [a violation of the duty to bargain in good faith].'”

The key difference between status quo and extension is that either party can declare work to cease at any time during the status quo, while an extension will block the current CBA until a specified date (or until a new CBA is agreed upon).

The WNBA has never lost a game due to a work stoppage, but it has come close. In 2003, a deal had not been reached by early April when then-NBA commissioner David Stern issued an ultimatum: agree to a new CBA by April 18 or the season would be cancelled. Both sides did so. As a result, the 2003 WNBA Draft was postponed, as were preseason games.

WNBPA Senior Counsel and Legal Advisor Erin Drake spoke about this. Athletic The two sides would not agree on a new CBA until Oct. 31, it said Tuesday.

“We worked hard to say we did it on Friday. Unfortunately, that won't happen,” Drake said. “It takes two to tango. And it was hard to find the rhythm, to find the rhythm and to find that same sense of urgency.” [from the league]just to be frank, to do it.”

In response, the league said it made an offer to players on Oct. 1 that was ignored until Monday.

“We have negotiated with the Players Association in good faith and with urgency for several months to finalize a new collective bargaining agreement as quickly as possible,” a WNBA spokesperson told ESPN. “Throughout this entire process, we have been clear that our top priority is to achieve a new collective bargaining agreement that will satisfy the players' requests for significant pay increases, benefits and improvements to their experience, while ensuring the long-term growth and success of the league and its teams.

“We encourage the Players Association to spend less time spreading public misinformation and more time joining us in constructive engagement at the negotiating table.”

The WNBA and WNBPA have been locked in a bitter labor dispute for more than a year. In October 2024, players announced their intention to opt out of the current CBA.

“This is a defining moment not only for the WNBA, but for all of us who believe in progress,” WNBPA President. Mrs Ogwumike said a statement at the time. “The world has changed since 2020 and we cannot afford to stand still. If we remain in the current agreement, we will fall behind.

“Stepping out is about more than just increasing wages – it’s about demanding our right to our rightful share of the business we’ve built, improving working conditions and ensuring a future where the success we create benefits today’s players and future generations. We don't just ask for a CBA that reflects our value; we demand it because we deserve it.”

Tensions between players and the league, and especially commissioner Cathy Engelbert, have increased in recent months. In particular, WNBPA Vice President Nafisa Collier delivered a sharp rebuke of Engelbert during her post-completion exit interview Minnesota Links season.

“We have the best players in the world. We have the best fans in the world. But now we have the worst leadership in the world,” Collier said, and also accused Engelbert of making derogatory remarks about players, including Caitlin Clark.

Engelbert later responded to the criticism during her press conference before the final.

“I have the utmost respect for Nafisa and every player in our league,” she said. “They are at the center of everything we do. I was disappointed to hear that some players feel the league and I personally don't care about them or listen to them, and if the players at W don't feel valued and valued by the league, then we need to play better and I need to play better.”

The main stumbling block between the two sides is the revenue distribution model.

Under the current CBA, the salary cap – and therefore player salaries – increases at a flat rate of 3% per year. Players are pushing for a new model in which salaries grow along with business. Currently, reports indicate that players receive only about 9% of all revenues, which is a far cry from the 49-51% of basketball-related revenues that NBA players receive.

Although Engelbert NBA Commissioner Adam Silver publicly supported raising the players' salaries, but they refused to share the revenue.

“I think equity is the wrong approach because there is so much more revenue in the NBA,” Silver said earlier this month. “I think you have to look at the absolute numbers in terms of what they earn. They will get a big boost this collective bargaining cycle, and they deserve it.”