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What Cathy Engelbert, WNBPA chief said about 12-hour WNBA CBA negotiating session at ‘deadline’
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- What Cathy Engelbert, WNBPA chief said about 12-hour WNBA CBA negotiating session at ‘deadline’
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A negotiating session between the WNBA and the Women's National Basketball Players Association stretched late into Tuesday night without producing a new collective bargaining agreement.
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League and union representatives met for nearly 12 hours at a Manhattan hotel, beginning at 5 p.m. local time Tuesday and running into early Wednesday morning. The meeting took place on the target date the league previously set for completing a term sheet to avoid disruptions to the 2026 schedule.
After the talks concluded, both sides indicated that progress had been made but acknowledged that significant work remains.
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said the negotiations were ongoing and stressed the importance of reaching a long-term agreement.
"We're working hard … and still have work to do," Engelbert said, as reported by Alexa Philippou of ESPN.
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She said the discussions were "complex" and "complicated," and added that securing what she called a transformational deal is "really important to the future not just of the league, but of women's sports."
WNBPA executive director Terri Jackson told reporters the lengthy session included productive dialogue between the two sides.
"There was a lot of conversation going in the right direction," Jackson said.
Players involved in the meeting left shortly before 3 a.m. as negotiations continued between league and union staff members for roughly two more hours. Several members of the WNBPA executive committee attended the talks, including president Nneka Ogwumike , vice presidents Breanna Stewart and Alysha Clark , and treasurer Brianna Turner .
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Engelbert, league operations head Bethany Donaphin and New York Liberty owner Clara Wu Tsai were among the league representatives present.
Jackson said negotiations would continue in the coming days and emphasized the importance of the parties continuing to meet.
"Every meeting is a positive meeting," Jackson said. "Seriously, every meeting is a positive meeting. The fact that we scheduled meetings, that we offer dates to schedule meetings that we actually get together, get in the room. I think that's positive. It's taking as long as it's taking. But you know, that's what it needs to be."
The two sides remain divided primarily over revenue sharing. The WNBA has proposed players receive on average more than 70% of net revenue, while the union previously requested players receive 26% of gross revenue over the life of the agreement.
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Additional issues under negotiation include team-provided housing, changes to the core designation and benefits for retired players.
The WNBA draft is currently scheduled for April 13, with training camps set to open April 19 and the 2026 season currently slated to begin May 8.
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