Because the Oct. 31 deadline arrives for the WNBA’s present CBA, the WNBA and WNBPA have agreed to a 30-day extension, as first reported by Ben Pickman of The Athletic.
On Tuesday, Pickman reported the league and gamers’ union are “extraordinarily unlikely” to achieve a brand new settlement. Just a few hours later, ESPN‘s Alexa Philippou reported the WNBA provided a 30-day extension to the WNBPA to proceed finalizing a brand new deal.
All through the week, the X handles representing the gamers’ unions of the NFL and MLS posted on social media, standing in solidarity with the WNBPA and its struggle for a CBA that displays the gamers’ function within the development of the WNBA.
The NFLPA stands in solidarity with @TheWNBPA and its struggle for a collective bargaining settlement that displays the gamers’ simple impression on the league’s development. It’s time for truthful compensation, correct working situations, and a future that places gamers first. pic.twitter.com/ogoCiJjQNG
— NFLPA (@NFLPA) October 29, 2025
New Nov. 30 Deadline Set after Extension Settlement
The extension supplies each the WNBA and the gamers’ union extra time to achieve a deal in ongoing talks for a brand new CBA earlier than the brand new deadline on Nov. 30.
The WNBPA issued an announcement on Friday after agreeing to the WNBA’s proposed 30-day extension, saying the gamers might cease it with a discover in two days.
“The WNBPA Govt Committee agreed to the league’s proposed 30-day extension of the present CBA, with the situation that the gamers might terminate the extension at any time with 48 hours’ discover,” the WNBPA stated.
“Whereas we believed negotiations could be additional alongside, the gamers are extra centered, united, and decided than ever to achieve an settlement that displays their worth and simple impression on the league.”
In October 2024, the gamers’ union determined to decide out of their present settlement, which was as a consequence of expire after the 2027 season, citing a need to say a “share of the enterprise we’ve constructed.”
Above the bulletins, the WNBPA outlined priorities, together with minimal requirements for sport and apply amenities, improved retirement advantages, and household planning and maternity depart advantages.
“This can be a defining second, not only for the WNBA, however for all of us who consider in progress,” WNBPA President and Seattle Storm ahead Nneka Ogwumike stated in an announcement Oct. 2024. “The world has advanced since 2020, and we can’t afford to face nonetheless. If we keep within the present settlement, we fall behind.
“Opting out isn’t nearly greater paychecks — it’s about claiming our rightful share of the enterprise we’ve constructed, bettering working situations, and securing a future the place the success we create advantages at the moment’s gamers and the generations to come back.”
Extra Funding Amongst Franchises
With enlargement and present groups investing in new, improved apply amenities, cities like Phoenix, Las Vegas, and New York will probably be high locations for future free brokers for years to come back.
The enlargement groups are additionally establishing new requirements for league attendance and innovation.
For instance, normal supervisor Vanja Černivec and head coach Alex Sarama mentioned the objective for the Portland Fireplace to have “one of many main analytics packages within the WNBA” throughout Sarama’s introductory presser on Tuesday.
The group additionally employed former WNBA participant Ashley Battle as Vice President of Basketball Operations, Technique, and Innovation on Oct. 14. One in every of her tasks will probably be implementing modern methods in participant efficiency and analytics for the enlargement group.
Throughout the WNBA All-Star weekend in Indianapolis, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert talked about how the earlier CBA negotiations went all through the 2019 season. When requested by a reporter how the assembly in Indianapolis went and whether or not she would agree with its characterizations, regardless of not having an in-person assembly scheduled, Engelbert was direct.
“Once more, I need to name it constructive,” Engelbert stated on July 19. “We had candid dialogue. That is a part of the method. After I first joined the league, really six years in the past on Thursday (July 17), I used to be 4 days within the job and we had our first collective bargaining assembly at All-Star. I really suppose we’ve had a bunch of conferences already.
“I appreciated what number of gamers got here to the assembly. I believed that was nice. Communication is essential. Having that assembly, being on the desk, was essential with that scale of gamers. I might simply say we’ve been by means of these negotiations many instances. That is solely my second one, however my group has been by means of a lot of them.”
Extra Matters of Dialogue Being Introduced Up Throughout WNBA’s Current Success, Extra Work To Do
Because the WNBA has gained extra consideration all through the 2020s, extra subjects of debate have been introduced up, equivalent to pay fairness, gamers’ security, and therapy.
One of many occurrences that happened in 2022 was when the New York Liberty obtained a $500,000 high-quality from the WNBA for chartering flights to video games on the street in the course of the second half of the season.
In response to a report by Howard Megdal of Sports activities Illustrated, the league’s normal counsel talked about a number of extreme punishments for the group, together with shedding all draft picks and suspending possession, even ‘grounds for termination for the franchise.’
After Brittney Griner‘s detention in Russia in 2022 to her expertise with harassment at Dallas airport whereas touring commercially in 2023, the league finally carried out constitution flights for elevated safety for the gamers.
Now, gamers have extra choices to remain and play in the USA 12 months spherical. Unmatched, coming into its second season in January, and Athletes Limitless enable WNBA gamers the power to earn extra money with out having to journey abroad in the course of the W low season.
All through the 2025 WNBA season, gamers and coaches voiced issues in regards to the league’s schedule and journey calls for whereas additionally managing participant absences as a consequence of accidents. All 13 WNBA groups have 11 or 12 roster spots, and enlargement of the roster sizes may very well be a chance.
Many notable stars, together with Breanna Stewart, Angel Reese, and Caitlin Clark, missed video games as a consequence of accidents throughout a 44-game common season. One of many groups, the Indiana Fever, confronted 5 season-ending accidents, together with to Clark, and signed 5 gamers to emergency contracts. The Fever nonetheless reached the semifinals within the playoffs, shedding to eventual champ Las Vegas Aces in 5 video games.
After the Minnesota Lynx had been eradicated within the semifinals by the Phoenix Mercury, Napheesa Collier known as out Engelbert with three-minute assertion throughout exit interviews in September.
Her ideas and emotions about pay fairness and participant well being went viral, but it surely stays to be seen how efficient Collier’s assertion finally will probably be because the WNBA reaches an essential crossroad.
The WNBA’s Future is Vibrant
Over the previous two seasons, the WNBA has been setting information in viewership, attendance, and merchandise gross sales. Crew valuations are additionally at all-time highs and rising. Mark Davis bought the Las Vegas Aces for $2 million in 2021. In the present day, it’s estimated the franchise is value over $300 million.
With regards to its media rights deal, the WNBA has an 11-year settlement value $2.2 billion in place that begins at the beginning of the 2026 season.
With the arrivals of Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and Paige Bueckers, and rising stars in faculty basketball equivalent to Azzi Fudd, JuJu Watkins, and Sarah Sturdy, the league is trending in the proper course for development and finally that may result in a stronger monetary construction. When that actual day comes is likely one of the foremost sticking factors of negotiations. It’s clear the WNBA gamers will see a considerable enhance in salaries going ahead, however what’s outlined as equitable by each events is the crux of the difficulty.
