The WNBA-CBA talks are putting pressure on the schedules for the upcoming season. The league commissioner, Cathy Engelbert, earlier declared March 16 as the deadline for the CBA signing, but just like previous deadline dates, it went without any signing activity.
The main concerns for the league owners and players’ associations were to get the season underway on the said date, that is, May 8, and now to achieve that, the franchises might have to sacrifice a few liberties, like analyzing their free agency signings and working on their drafts.
Though they had been working on those activities right after the end of the 2025 season, there is one aspect that no one could work on beforehand – exhibition games.
WNBA CBA Delay To Impact Exhibition Games
There had been chatter about the possible delay to the start of the season. But the WNBA and WNBPA pulled off marathon meetings for seven days in a row, settling on multiple topics and aspects of the CBA discussions.
Yet the WNBPA President, Nneka Ogwumike, highlights two major hurdles keeping the CBA deal from becoming a reality. Neither party want to keep those two points incomplete, and it is taking more time than previous CBA segments. This delay might delay the tip-off of the 2026 season, but one aspect that will surely take the hit will be exhibition games.
After a seventh straight overnight session, the WNBA and WNBPA left talks at 3:40am ET without a deal.
— Sports Business Journal (@SBJ) March 17, 2026
With the season approaching, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert could soon be forced to consider canceling exhibition games.
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The league proposed April 13 as the date for the 2026 WNBA draft, while the exhibition games were to be played between April 25 and May 6. But with extended talks, the league might not even get to the draft night on time, giving less time for the exhibition games.
Franchises might cut down their exhibition game schedules or completely cancel them to make the May 8 reality. Still, all this depends on the CBA Confirmation, and as per the latest update, the league and PA are working hard to complete it in the next couple of days.
WNBA Working Hard Towards Finalization Of CBA
The CBA deal is stuck on the revenue-sharing model and the percentages, along with the resolution on player housing. There is a massive difference in the demand and proposal for the revenue share percentages, while the housing facility is also on the agenda, which could take significant time to resolve.
Keeping this in mind, Engelbert told the press, “We are going to keep going. We’re going to get this deal. And, you know, it’s going to be historic.”
"We are going to keep going. We're going to get this deal done. And, you know, it's going to be historic."
— ESPN (@espn) March 16, 2026
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said progress is being made toward a new CBA, following a sixth day of marathon talks with no deal. https://t.co/0D3ZbZk5Hi
Interestingly, the Commissioner didn’t mention the target date this time, which puts a question mark over the possibility of the exhibition games.