WNBA and players’ union fail to reach new CBA as deadline passes | WNBA

The WNBA and its players’ union failed to agree on a new collective bargaining agreement before Friday night’s deadline, and the league now enters a “status quo” period without any new extensions.

Negotiations will continue with the current collective agreement still in effect.

The league and the players have already benefited from two extensions, the most recent expiring Friday evening at 11:59 p.m. The parties have met several times this week, but are still far apart on many key issues, including salary structure and revenue sharing.

“Despite our willingness to compromise to reach an agreement, the WNBA and its teams have failed to bring us to the table with the same spirit and seriousness,” the union said in a statement. “Instead, they remained committed to undervaluing player contributions, ignoring player concerns, and running out of time.”

If a new collective agreement is not reached soon, it could delay the start of the 2026 season.

“As the league navigates a pivotal period of unprecedented popularity and growth, we recognize the importance of continuing this momentum,” the WNBA said in a statement released after the deadline. “Our priority is a deal that significantly increases player salaries, improves the overall player experience and supports the long-term growth of the league for current and future generations of players and fans.”

The last collective agreement was announced in mid-January 2020, a month after it was agreed. It could easily take two months from the time a new collective bargaining agreement is reached to the start of free agency, which was supposed to begin later this month.

The WNBA, under U.S. labor law, has an obligation to maintain the status quo to allow teams to send eligible offers under the expired CBA agreement. The two sides could agree to a moratorium that would result in a pause on all free agency activities until a new collective bargaining agreement is ratified. The league has proposed one, according to a person familiar with the matter. The person spoke to The Associated Press Friday evening on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the negotiations.

With no moratorium, the league told its teams they could send qualifying offers to free agents starting Sunday, according to the source. These deals would be for players who were restricted free agents or those who teams wanted to give the franchise tag to.

Since neither players nor teams have any idea about the new salary structure and salary cap in the new CBA, no team should make such offers.

The league’s most recent offer last month would guarantee a maximum base salary of $1 million in 2026, which could rise to $1.3 million through revenue sharing. That’s an increase from the current $249,000 and could reach nearly $2 million over the life of the deal, the person told the AP.

Under the league’s proposal, players would receive more than 70% of net revenues – although that would be their share of the profits after expenses are paid. These expenses would include facility upgrades, charter flights, five-star hotels, medical services, security and arenas.

The average salary in 2026 would rise to more than $530,000, up from $120,000 currently, and increase to more than $770,000 over the life of the agreement. The minimum wage would rise from $67,000 currently to about $250,000 in the first year, the person told the AP.

The proposal would also financially compensate young star players like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers, all of whom are still on rookie contracts, nearly double the league minimum.

Revenue sharing is one of the main sticking points in the negotiations.

The union’s counterproposal to the league would give players about 30 percent of gross revenue. The player’s percentage would come from money generated before first-year expenses and teams would have $10.5 million in salary cap space to sign players. Under the union’s proposal, the revenue sharing percentage would increase slightly each year.

“Make no mistake. Pay equity is not optional and progress is long overdue,” the union’s statement said. “We urge the league and its teams to come together at this time. The players have already done so and will continue to do so.”