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WNBA commissioner sets deadline for new deal amidst marathon negotiations
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- WNBA commissioner sets deadline for new deal amidst marathon negotiations
Amid marathon negotiations , WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert addressed the "urgency" of ongoing CBA talks between the league and the WNBPA.
"I've never been a betting woman in my life, and I'm not going to start now. But we have to get a deal done by Monday," Engelbert said, according to an Associated Press report . "We have to get it done without disrupting some part of the fact that we've got to run this two-team expansion (draft). We have to get expansion going. (We've) got to get free agency going. We gotta get the college draft."
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Engelbert reportedly told on-site media in New York there's "urgency" between the league and its players' union to try to get a deal done by Monday, March 16, to avoid disruptions to 2026 preseason activities. As of Saturday morning, meetings between the league and WNBPA leadership had extended well beyond 48 hours of negotiating time after four consecutive days of marathon meetings. They will continue Saturday.
The 2026 WNBA Draft is scheduled for April 13. Training camp is slated to start on April 19, with preseason matchups beginning on April 25 and running through May 3. The season is tentatively scheduled to begin on May 8. Free agency and expansion drafts for the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo, which also need to happen before the season, cannot begin until a new CBA agreement is in place.
WNBPA Executive Director Terri Carmichael Jackson, who was also on-site, reportedly described the progress that's been made over the course of the past four days as "movement."
"We have been there committed 'round the clock and speaking very passionately and factually," Jackson said. "As long as movement keeps us going in a forward direction, then I think we're good."
Jackson said Engelbert and the league have emphasized a "transformational" deal remains the ultimate goal.
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"We're trying to put a package together, salaries and benefits and all the other things the players want and deserve, and I want for them, too," Engelbert reportedly said. "I said, I want all these things for the players … make it a package that meets our objectives of a transformational deal."
Jackson also reportedly shared with the media a salary system between the league and its players "tied to revenue in a meaningful way" remained a top priority.
"Conversations have helped us kind of chip away at what the concerns are for both sides and how we meet them and how we address them," Jackson said.
Sources told USA TODAY Sports the two sides continue to meet to work through CBA negotiations, exchanging multiple proposals throughout talks the week.
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On Friday, WNBPA Vice President Napheesa Collier also reportedly joined on-site negotiations. It was Collier's first reported appearance during the marathon negotiations. She joined other executive committee members who were already on site, including vice president Nneka Ogwumike .
"I think we both always understood each other," Jackson said. "Now we have to continue to do the dance and see where that nets out."
Biggest agenda items Saturday at WNBA CBA talks
WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike told reporters on site at the CBA talks that the biggest hurdles the league and players' union need to clear on Saturday are revenue sharing and housing.
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The last proposals reported by USA TODAY Sports had the players' union asking for 26% of gross revenue, with the WNBA offering 70% of net revenue.
"There's still work to do, but ultimately we want to get this done," Ogwumike said .
Housing, which has been provided by the league since the beginning, has been a point of debate. The league would like to sunset that policy, which would affect players who get cut or are added because of injuries in particular.
"The fact that we're here talking about housing shows that we care about every single player in the same way that we do about revenue share," she said .
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When is the WNBA CBA deadline?
The WNBA said Friday a term sheet for a new CBA needed to be completed by March 16 to avoid delaying the start of the 2026 season. Opening day is scheduled for May 8.
"I'm not going to give anybody deadlines because as I've been saying all along, you know, we wanted progress, we wanted bargaining in good faith, we wanted all of that," WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said late Friday evening to reporters in New York. "Can things be 24 to 48 hours later than maybe a date that we put on a piece of paper just to get everybody understanding there is a basketball calendar here? Can things be 24 to 48 hours [late]? Sure. But not much more before you start to look at, you know, can we open training camp up, you know, that kind of stuff."
What are the key issues between WNBA players and owners?
Revenue sharing and the salary cap remain the top sticking points. Here is where the two sides stand:
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Revenue sharing:The WNBPA requested 25% of gross revenue in the first year, increasing over the life of the agreement to an average of roughly 26%. The WNBA is currently offering more than 70% of league and team net revenue.
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Salary cap:The union also proposed a salary cap of less than $9.5 million. As of March 12, the WNBA's latest offer increases the Year 1 salary cap to $6.2 million, up from $1.5 million in 2025 ― representing an increase of more than four times the 2025 cap.
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Base pay:The WNBA's latest proposal also included a maximum base salary exceeding $1.3 million, with a projected revenue-sharing component. The league's maximum salary would grow to nearly $2 million over the life of the agreement. The average salary would be $570,000 in Year 1 (up from $530,000 in previous proposals), growing to $850,000 over the life of the deal.
Will WNBA players go on strike?
Players voted in December 2025 to authorize the Women's National Basketball Players Association's Executive Committee to "call a strike when necessary." The WNBPA said the strike authorization vote resulted in 98% yes votes with 93% participation among players.
In a private letter obtained by ESPN on Tuesday, March 3, Stewart and Plum warned a potential work stoppage would harm the league's financial outlook. After the letter went public, the executive committee said a decision to strike "was not taken lightly."
"Despite our differences and tough moments, we must make crystal clear that we are focused, we are resolute, and we are together," the WNBPA executive committee said on Wednesday, March 4. "We want to play basketball in 2026. We want to be in front of our fans playing the game that we love. We will not stop fighting. There is no WNBA without the players."
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Plum echoed that sentiment on March 3. Ahead of the Unrivaled semifinal game on Monday, Plum said: "I want to play, and players want to play ... And so obviously we're going to continue to negotiate and do everything we possibly can to get this done in a timely fashion. But obviously, a strike would be the worst thing for both sides, because we are in a revenue (sharing system), so no revenue, no revenue to share."
Has WNBA ever had a lockout?
The WNBA has never experienced a lockout in its 30-year history, although the 2003 WNBA draft and preseason were postponed before a new CBA was reached.
When is the 2026 WNBA Draft? Who has No. 1 pick?
The 2026 WNBA Draft is scheduled to take place on Monday, April 13, a little more than a week after a national champion will be crowned at the 2026 NCAA Tournament. The Dallas Wings were awarded the No. 1 overall pick in the draft lottery for the second consecutive year. The Wings will have first dibs on big names like UConn's Azzi Fudd , Spain's Awa Fam, UCLA 's Lauren Betts , TCU 's Olivia Miles and LSU's Flau'jae Johnson .
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"We want someone who wants to win," said Wings forward Maddy Siegrist , who represented the team at the lottery in November. The Minnesota Lynx will pick second in the draft, followed by the Seattle Storm .
When is the 2026 expansion draft?
The Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire are set to join the league in 2026 as the 14th and 15th WNBA franchises, but the teams will have to wait a little longer to begin assembling their rosters. That's because the rules and format of the upcoming expansion draft will be negotiated in the new CBA, meaning the draft cannot be held until a deal is in place.
"We have given our general managers some guidance on how we're thinking, but until we get the collective bargaining agreement done, it won't be finalized as to the format or process," WNBA commissioner Cathy Englebert said back in October. "But you can expect, because you saw what we did last year, something similar."
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When the Golden State Valkyries joined the league as the 13th franchise in 2025, the team's expansion draft was held on Dec. 6, 2024. The draft rules were released on Sept. 30, 2024 and WNBA teams were required to provide the league with a roster list of all their players by Nov 25, 2024, including six protected players that wouldn't be available for selection. Golden State then got to pick one player from each team, nearly two months before team-building continued through free agency in late January.
The timeline will be much tighter for the Tempo and Fire with the WNBA's projected May 8 start date. The league has to squeeze in an expansion draft for two teams, free agency featuring over 100 players, and the 2026 WNBA Draft before opening night.
When does WNBA free agency start?
It's not clear when WNBA free agency will start, but it will likely be a wild ride. The league will have a staggering amount of free agents as many players avoided signing contracts past the 2025 season, aside from rookie-scale contracts, as a new CBA and higher salaries are on the horizon. Money is not the only thing on the negotiating table — the new CBA could impact free agency rules, such as core designation rules.
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2026 WNBA season key dates
The WNBA's landmark 30th season is scheduled to tip off on Friday, May 8.
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May 8: Opening Night
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June 1-June 17: Commissioner's Cup
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July 24-27: All-Star Weekend ( Chicago )
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September 1- September 16: FIBA Break
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September 24: Last day of regular season
Contributing: Nancy Armour, Meghan Hall, Cydney Henderson, Mark Giannotto
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: WNBA commissioner sets deadline for new CBA as negotiations continue
