The WNBA and WNBA Gamers Affiliation agreed to an extension on the present CBA via Jan. 9, as they appear to proceed negotiations towards a brand new deal, the league introduced Sunday night time.
The settlement consists of the choice for both celebration to terminate the extension with 48 hours’ discover.
Either side agreed to the extension shortly earlier than their Sunday 11:59 p.m. ET deadline. The union proposed a six-week extension after initially discussing a 24-hour extension, sources stated, whereas the league pushed for one in every of 21 days.
“We anticipate substantive motion from the league inside this window,” the union stated in an announcement.
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The union and league beforehand prolonged the preliminary Oct. 31 deadline by 30 days final month.
“The WNBA and WNBPA are persevering with to work towards a brand new settlement,” the league stated in its assertion Sunday.
Sunday’s transfer comes as the 2 sides have seemingly remained far aside amid negotiations notably in figuring out wage construction and income sharing techniques.
Based on a Nov. 18 report by The Related Press, and later confirmed by ESPN, the WNBA had proposed a deal that includes important wage will increase in addition to a income sharing element, in all providing gamers on the most greater than $1.1 million and on the minimal greater than $220,000. The league’s minimal wage was $66,079 in 2025 and its supermax was $249,244.
However the WNBPA and its gamers weren’t moved by the proposal, sources instructed ESPN, as they felt it didn’t characteristic a system during which the wage cap, and thus participant salaries, would sufficiently develop with the enterprise — similar to within the NBA, the place the wage cap is straight decided by basketball-related earnings (BRI). Gamers not desire a wage cap that, of their view, is chosen arbitrarily ($1,507,100 in 2025) and grows at a set fee (3% every year below the present CBA).
The present settlement additionally has a separate income sharing provision that grants direct funds to gamers if the league hits sure income targets (this has but to occur, largely due to the affect of the COVID-19 pandemic).
Because the league’s proposal leaked, the WNBA and union despatched up to date proposals backwards and forwards and met incessantly, together with Sunday. Different priorities the gamers are pushing for embrace establishing minimal skilled requirements in amenities, codifying the league’s constitution journey program, and increasing retirement and being pregnant/household planning advantages.
The league has stated it needs to considerably improve participant salaries and different value commitments, whereas additionally incentivizing homeowners to proceed to put money into working the enterprise. The WNBA’s fast progress in recent times supplies a chance for the enterprise to go from working at losses to, the league hopes, constructing sustained profitability.