The WNBPA came prepared for the 2026 WNBA CBA discussions. They hired financial experts, jotted down the ‘exact needs’, and also maintained strong communication among the players to maintain unity and involve everyone in the discussion. That’s not all; the PA also appointed a consultant with nearly five decades of experience in negotiation, who reviews all possible checklists for the discussions.
After the CBA talks crossed the October 2025 deadline, the support started to chip in for the WNBA Players. The NBA players’ association also released a statement showing their support for the WNBPA’s ‘fight’ with the NFL, and soccer also joined in.
But now, the discussions are into their 18th month, and even the Counsellor is showing her frustration.
WNBPA Counsel Slams Delay In WNBA CBA Talks
After a series of discussions and a number of proposal exchanges, many expected the deal on the table and franchises working on their roster building. Also, March 10 was a ‘do-or-die’ date, looking at the processes next in line after the CBA finalization. But days passed, and there was only ‘positive news’ but no deal.
The WNBPA counsel Deborah R. Willig said, “This has been an extraordinarily unusual set of labor negotiations, and I’ve been doing this for over 50 years. The why, frankly, is because the league underestimate seriously the resolve of the players and what they sought to achieve.”
WNBPA outside counsel, Deborah Willig expressed "hope" that a term sheet could be agreed to in the next 15-20 hours. But she also believed a deal would have been done by now.
— Annie Costabile (@AnnieCostabile) March 16, 2026
The point: “This has been an extraordinarily unusual set of labor negotiations"…
Scroll to continue reading
Trending WNBA News
Willing was part of the National Women’s Soccer League CBA negotiations, helping the league to deliver a ‘revolutionary’ CBA Deal. While the WNBA is a bigger project, the delay is unusual for the negotiator, and they hope that the final deal will be on the floor within the next few days.
Nneka Ogwumike recently highlighted two major hurdles keeping the CBA deal from becoming a reality. The biggest issue is with the revenue-sharing model and percentage.
Revenue Sharing Biggest Let Down In CBA Talks
The key non-negotiable point, right from the start, for the players was their share of the league’s revenue. They expected an NBA-like model but were ready for a lower percentage to begin with.
“We’ve talked a lot about revenue share, which that’s obviously going to be, I don’t even really like calling it the elephant in the room. Like it’s there, you know, like we’re going to talk about it,” Ogwumike said. “But housing is big, you know, and housing is really big. And I think that perhaps people understanding this negotiation or like learning about it has really shown like how meaningful something like a housing benefit is, especially for the women in the W.”
According to reports, the WNBPA has argued that the league’s “net revenue” offer amounts to less than 15% of total, or gross, revenue, which players deem insufficient given the league’s soaring revenue and valuation.