The WNBA’s collective bargaining talks have dragged into extra time, with the CBA’s October 31 deadline now in sight and no deal in view.
However, players have pushed hard for a revenue model that ties their pay directly to the league’s booming business, from sold-out arenas to a $2.2 billion media package starting next year.
However, the gap with league officials remains, leaving the hopes of 155 athletes hanging by a thread as free agency and the 2026 draft loom. Amid all this, the NFL Players Association, or NFLPA, has shown support for WNBPA.
NFL Players Association Stands For WNBPA Amid WNBA-CBA Talks
Now, as both sides eye possible extensions, a voice from across the sports world has joined the chorus. The NFL Players Association has recently come in support of the women’s league’s players association.
However, while one side of the league fans were blaming Napheesa Collier for the potential delay heading to the October 31 deadline, the football league’s player association social media team dropped bold words.
“The NFLPA stands in solidarity with @TheWNBPA and its fight for a collective bargaining agreement that reflects the players’ undeniable impact on the league’s growth. It’s time for fair compensation, proper working conditions, and a future that puts players first,” the statement read.
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The NFL Players Association released a statement this morning supporting the WNBPA Players amid CBA negotiations.
— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) October 29, 2025
(via @NFLPA) pic.twitter.com/lNMVllgfHi
However, this isn’t the first time the NFLPA has backed women’s pro sports. In 2019, they collaborated with the WNBPA and USWNT players for Equal Pay Day, highlighting fair treatment across leagues.
But the timing here feels sharper, coming just days after WNBPA legal counsel Erin D. Drake confirmed no agreement by Friday.
WNBA Offers 30-Day CBA Deadline Extension
The support from across the league came at a perfect time, as the league floated a lifeline to keep the peace. Sources told ESPN and The Athletic on Tuesday that the WNBA proposed a 30-day extension to the current CBA, pushing the expiration past Friday and buying time to hash out details without immediate fallout.
Commissioner Cathy Engelbert had hinted at this during the Finals presser, saying, “I feel confident that we can get a deal done, but if not, I think we could do an extension.” A similar move worked in 2019 when a 60-day delay led to the 2020 deal signed in January.