WNBA and players’ union continue marathon CBA talks as revenue sharing remains key issue

TOI GLOBAL DESK | TOI GLOBAL | Mar 13, 2026, 00:06 IST

Image credit : AP

The Women's National Basketball Association and the Women's National Basketball Players Association continued negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement for a third straight day, holding extended bargaining sessions to resolve major issues before the upcoming season. Union president Nneka Ogwumike said players are hopeful progress is being made and emphasized their desire to begin the season on time. A major topic in the talks is revenue sharing between the league and players. Under the latest proposal from commissioner Cathy Engelbert, the team salary cap would rise to $6.2 million in the first season of the new agreement, compared with about $1.5 million last year. Average player salaries could jump from roughly $120,000 to about $570,000 initially and reach around $850,000 by the sixth year, while maximum salaries could approach $2 million. A final agreement is needed soon to keep the planned May 8 season start and upcoming offseason events on schedule.

FILE - The WNBA logo is seen near a hoop before an WNBA basketball game at Mohegan Sun Arena, May 14, 2019, in Uncasville, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill, File)

The WNBA and its players’ union continued negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement for a third straight day on Thursday, as both sides try to reach a deal before the upcoming season.

Talks have stretched late into the night over the past two days, with marathon bargaining sessions taking place as the league and the union work through key issues. Union president Nneka Ogwumike said players believe progress is finally being made.

“At the end of the day, we want a season,” Ogwumike said. “We want to play.”

The two sides began Thursday’s discussions around 11 a.m. EDT. The biggest issue still holding up an agreement is revenue sharing between the league and the players.

According to a person familiar with the talks, the league’s latest proposal raises the team salary cap for the first season of the new agreement to $6.2 million. That figure was previously set at $5.75 million in earlier negotiations. Last season, each team operated with a salary cap of about $1.5 million.

Average player salaries, which were around $120,000 last year, could rise significantly under the proposed deal. The average salary is projected to increase to about $570,000 in the first year and could climb to roughly $850,000 by the sixth year. The maximum salary would also increase, starting at more than $1.3 million and approaching $2 million by the final year.

Cathy Engelbert said the league believes its offer represents a major step forward for players while still protecting the league’s long-term stability.

“Our proposal on the table is a real historic and transformational deal for these players,” Engelbert said.

There had been discussion about needing at least a preliminary agreement by earlier this week in order to keep the season schedule intact, but the union did not view that timeline as a strict deadline.

If both sides reach a basic agreement soon, the league will still need a few weeks to finalize the full contract. After that, several offseason events would follow quickly.

The expansion draft for the league’s new teams in Portland and Toronto is expected to take place in early April. Free agency would begin shortly after, with training camps scheduled to open in mid April.

The season is currently planned to begin on May 8. However, that timeline depends on the league and the players’ union reaching an agreement soon, particularly on how revenue will be shared moving forward.

WNBA and players’ union continue marathon CBA talks as revenue sharing remains key issue

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