💰 MONEY MOVES

THE CBA DEADLINE IS FAST APPROACHING

The clock has expired, but we’re heading into double overtime.

Minutes before the November 30 deadline, the league and WNBPA agreed to an extension of the current Collective Bargaining Agreement. The new deadline to get a CBA signed is now January 9, 2026. Until then, the two sides will continue negotiating.

It’s been a rocky road to get here, so let’s make note of the recent changes.

On November 18, the Associated Press reported that the WNBA held their annual Board of Governors meetings in New York City. The current CBA negotiations were a major theme of the meetings, and the league revealed that its latest offer to the WNBPA includes a league minimum salary of $220k, an average salary of $460k, and a maximum salary of over $1.1 million. These numbers represent a public change from the current round of CBA discussions between the league and the Players’ Association. Stick a pin in that for a moment.

The large numbers drew a lot of attention and discussion. However, the issues underneath the surface still appear to be the biggest impediment to an agreement. From Tempestade Talk’s Roberta F. Rodrigues in Forbes:

“Engelbert and WNBA front office have expressed concern over a revenue share model stating that it could hurt the business’ long-term stability, while the other side claims historical lack of transparency has not allowed them to properly assess the financial health of the league to make demands.”

On the November 20 edition of NBA Today, ESPN’s Alexa Philippou reported that the PA believes the league’s latest offer doesn’t move negotiations forward, citing the lack of revenue sharing from the league. We found out later in the evening from Annie Costiable of Front Office Sports that the $1.1 million max salary that was floated publicly has a lot more strings attached to it then the league is letting on. From Costiable:

“While salaries can reach a maximum of more than $1.1 million in the league’s offer, the base supermax contract would still pay between $800,000 and $850,000 annually—as was the case in early October. The $1.1 million figure represents combined earnings from a base salary and additional potential revenue sharing, the league sources said. Under the league’s offer, no player would sign a contract in 2026 with a base salary of $1.1 million.

Leagues often share large salary numbers during CBA negotiations to sway public opinion in their favor and against players, so the WNBA is following a long tradition across sports history. The players see through this tactic and remain focused on achieving their goals.

“We know that we have so much leverage so that [we] either make you share the money or you can make no money,” New York Liberty forward Isabelle Harrison told Yahoo Sports earlier this month. “So, what's going to be the best option here?”

As we discussed in the October 24 edition of the WBB Roundup, the league office doesn’t believe share is the right way to look at these negotiations. They are in agreement about raising salaries, but as Roberta noted, think a revenue sharing model would disrupt the business.

The players have been resolute in their request to have proper revenue sharing so they can fully reap the rewards of their hard work, as well as record-setting attendance numbers. And it appears the players are starting to convince the league office to be open to revenue sharing, as Philippou reported on December 1:

The $1.1 million base max salary will draw a lot of attention, but directly tying revenue growth to the salary cap in each year of the CBA should dramatically increase pay for players across the league. Another puzzle for the players to solve is what actually constitutes revenue and basketball-related income from the league’s perspective.

The road here has been arduous. With billions of dollars entering the WNBA soon, this CBA will chart the course of the league going forward. Getting it right is of the utmost importance, and the players will hold firm until they get the best offer possible. With another extension, the sides will try to find an outcome that leaves everyone satisfied. If not, we’re in for a LONG winter.