The WNBA and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) are navigating the final stages of collective bargaining agreement (CBA) negotiations, with the latest proposal from the league offering concessions on player housing and facility standards, but falling short of player demands regarding revenue sharing. While progress has been made on issues impacting player quality of life, a significant gap remains on financial matters, raising concerns about the timeline for finalizing a deal before the start of the 2026 season.
The WNBA’s offer, delivered Friday and discussed by the WNBPA’s executive committee on Sunday, includes providing one-bedroom apartments for players on minimum salaries and those with zero years of service for the first three years of the new CBA. Developmental players would receive studio apartments. This marks a shift from previous agreements where teams could offer either housing or a stipend. The league previously agreed to create two new developmental player roster spots, with those players receiving a stipend plus game appearance money, limited to a certain number of appearances.
“That means that the league heard us on things that matter to us,” WNBPA vice president Breanna Stewart told CBS Sports in an exclusive interview Monday, acknowledging the importance of the housing concessions. “There were some minimum standard requirements that did come into play.”
However, Stewart emphasized that the financial aspects of the proposal were less encouraging. “It didn’t move much money wise,” she said. The core disagreement continues to center on how revenue should be shared between the league and its players.
The league has proposed that players receive, on average, over 70% of net revenue – defined as revenue after deducting expenses. The latest proposal includes a $5.65 million salary cap in 2026, a substantial increase from the roughly $1.5 million cap in 2025, with projected growth tied to revenue increases. Maximum salaries, including revenue share payouts, are projected to reach $1.3 million in 2026 and approach $2 million in 2031.
The WNBPA, however, has countered with a proposal for players to receive 30% of gross revenue, a significantly higher percentage. This would translate to a roughly $10.5 million salary cap in 2026 and a maximum salary around $2.5 million. The current CBA features a maximum salary of around $250,000 and a minimum salary of approximately $66,000.
The difference in proposed revenue sharing models is substantial. The league’s net revenue approach allows for deductions of expenses before calculating player share, while the players’ gross revenue proposal would provide a larger overall pool for distribution. The WNBA estimates the current deal would result in players receiving about 70% of net revenue, while the players seek a larger piece of the overall pie.
The urgency to reach an agreement is heightened by the rapidly approaching start of the 2026 WNBA season. Training camps are scheduled to begin on April 19, with preseason games starting April 25 and opening night set for May 8. In addition to finalizing the CBA, the league must also conduct an expansion draft for the new Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire franchises and navigate a busy free agency period, with nearly every player not on a rookie-scale contract eligible to become a free agent.
“Time is of the essence,” Stewart stated. While she acknowledged there isn’t a firm “drop dead” date that would force a delay to the season, she emphasized the awareness on both sides that time is running out. “I think that both sides are very aware that this has gone on way longer than it needed to,” she said. “But hopefully we can really start to be hearing each other and they hear us on things that are non-negotiables.”
The league and the WNBPA held an in-person meeting on February 2, the first since October, where housing and facility standards were key discussion points. While the players expressed frustration at the lack of a counterproposal at that time, the subsequent offer from the league addressed some of those concerns. However, the fundamental disagreement over revenue sharing remains the primary obstacle to a finalized agreement.
The 2026 season will be the league’s 30th anniversary, and stakeholders are keen to build on the WNBA’s growing popularity and momentum. Reaching a fair and equitable CBA is seen as crucial to ensuring the league’s continued success and attracting and retaining top talent.
