The league set March 10 as the deadline for CBA discussions, keeping May 8 as the start of the 2026 season. When the league announced its schedule, many players, including A’ja Wilson and Azura Stevens, called out the WNBA over the announcement amid the CBA standoff.
nd now the league is struggling to meet its own targets and also address players’ demands in discussions. While the discussions were slow till January, both parties accelerated the process, and as per the latest update, the WNBPA sent a counter proposal just hours before the deadline date.
WNBA Players Association Sends Counter Proposal
From the start of CBA discussions, players were very aggressive in their demands and even threatened to strike if the league didn’t accept their offers. Such an adamant stance was a bad sign for any negotiation, as the league also put its interests ahead of the CBA solution.
Now, after 18 months of discussions, there have been multiple proposals, slightly differing from previous offers, but nowhere closer to the other party’s expectations. As per the FOS’s report, the WNBPA sent one more counteroffer just before the deadline date and will meet on March 10.
A meeting between the WNBA and the WNBPA (including players) is scheduled for later today, multiple sources told me.
— Annie Costabile (@AnnieCostabile) March 10, 2026
On Feb. 23 the league imposed a March 10th target date that, if passed, would subject the season to delays. Both sides have exchanged proposals in recent days,…
The details of the offer are not out yet, but the league and the players’ association have exchanged multiple offers over the past two weeks, indicating some urgency to crack the deal. Key points of discrepancy are the salary cap and the revenue-sharing model.
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While such delays and incomplete processes are impacting the dates, fans can now expect a late start to the season.
WNBA-CBA Standoff Could Force Late Start To 2026 Season
WNBPA vice president Breanna Stewart was not confident that the CBA terms could be agreed upon in time and added that there is a 50% chance the 2026 season will start on the given date. Now that the deadline has passed, the league and players’ association have to decide whether to continue discussions on ‘similar’ lines or call off the season to get time to find a solution.
As of now, both the league and players have shown interest in having the season and might continue with the discussions. But looking at the leftover work – including free agency signings, the expansion draft, and the WNBA draft – the 2026 season might need a new tip-off date.