Three months until the season tips off and CBA is nowhere close to being finished in time. The league and the player’s association have negotiated over a new contract for the last five months. At some point, the two sides are going to have to agree on something that will complete the player’s request.
Both sides have not seen eye to eye on this deal questioning if the 2026 season will be happening this summer. From the meeting in New York early this month to a counterproposal submitted this week, the clock is running out of time.
The Collective Bargain Agreement (CBA) is a vital part of the league that covers housing, player’s contracts, time off bonuses, and maternity leave. Without the contract, the WNBA is unable to play in the summer which affects the players from making money. The Player’s Association which was founded in 2020, believed that ending the current contract would give them a better chance to increase the salaries they made in the past.
The league is consistently growing with talented stars coming from overseas, college and increased viewership along with sold out arenas. WNBA is also expanding to new cities starting with Portland and Toronto (2026), Cleveland (2028), Detroit (2029), and Philadelphia (2030). New franchises coming means the league has to invest in the players’ needs.
Following a successful meeting in New York between the players, officials and some of the team’s owners, the association released a counter proposal that minimizes the percentage they offered in the last proposal. The latest deal includes a 27.5% gross revenue, $9.5 million cap in year one contract, and housing provided for all players who stay or play for different teams throughout the season.
After the proposal was submitted, the league felt the information provided was unrealistic. I believe this proposal is beneficial and gives the players an idea of what can be done but the league needs to take initiative of the plan without judging the presentation.
The league’s response to this deal is that over hundreds of dollars would be lost if the contract was signed. The players association is taken back by the situation and sees the brand’s value of trying to offer more to the table rather than what could be given.
Both sides are not working together to provide a new agreement for the future and have different perspectives of how the contract should be. WNBA does not invest into growth and will only take the bare minimum even though they are expanding. WNBPA wants to build the brand and give the players more than what they receive.
The completion of the CBA needs to be done now for both sides if there is going to be a 2026 season. An incomplete contract means Portland and Toronto cannot participate in the upcoming season, free agency is limited to all players, and the college draft affects new prospects from starting their careers.
The league needs to be more professional in working with the players association’s proposals by trying to help build the contract. The association sees the brand as marketing increase to invest more from the stardom of the athletes.
The more proposals that the player association provides to get the WNBA’s attention makes them feel no respect for building the future and the league does not care about the branding. If the next proposal does not make the cut for the league, the players are going to have to stick with the current agreement on time for the start of the season.
From May until now a new agreement needs to be finalized immediately. Lockout or delay of schedule is not the option for both sides so let’s complete this contract before it’s too late.
