WNBA faces critical deadline as ongoing collective bargaining talks threaten to disrupt schedule, commish says

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert acknowledged advancement successful ongoing negotiations for a caller corporate bargaining statement betwixt the league and the players national but besides outlined a deadline she hopes a woody tin beryllium reached by.

Engelbert said the timeline is aimed astatine avoiding disruption to the league’s outpouring docket arsenic grooming campy and preseason games approach.

"We person to get it done by Monday. I should say, we person to get it done without disrupting immoderate portion of the information that we've got to tally this two-team enlargement [draft]," Engelbert said. 

"We've got to get enlargement going. We've got to get escaped bureau going. We've got to get the assemblage draft, which is present a period from today."

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WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert speaks during a quality league earlier the WNBA All-Star Game July 19, 2025, successful Indianapolis, Indiana.  (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Training campy is scheduled to commencement connected April 19, followed by the commencement of preseason enactment April 25.

Negotiations person reportedly stretched for hours each time implicit the past respective days.

Women’s National Basketball Players Association Executive Director Terri Carmichael Jackson and Engelbert some acknowledged affirmative steps successful caller days, peculiarly connected ancillary issues.

A hoops goes done a hoop during warmups earlier a crippled betwixt the Seattle Storm and the Connecticut Sun astatine Climate Pledge Arena June 20, 2023, successful Seattle.  (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

However, Engelbert noted that some sides "still person a batch of items to get done."

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Jackson struck a cautiously optimistic tone. 

"I deliberation the league, and peculiarly the commissioner and her team, person heard that transformational remains the goal," Jackson told reporters. "As agelong arsenic question keeps america going successful a guardant direction, past I deliberation we're good."

The 2 parties person yet to scope an statement connected a caller revenue-sharing system.

A WNBA logo connected the tribunal earlier a crippled betwixt the Connecticut Sun and the Las Vegas Aces astatine Michelob ULTRA Arena June 25, 2025, successful Las Vegas.  (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Different proposals connected systems for subordinate salaries person been floated by the league and the union. The WNBA’s connection calls for players to gain an mean of much than 70% of nett revenue, portion the union’s astir caller connection seeks 26% of gross gross implicit the beingness of the agreement, according to ESPN.

The national reportedly balked astatine a erstwhile league connection that called for players to person little than 15% of gross revenue. The league argued that immoderate of the union’s proposals could effect successful millions of dollars successful mislaid revenue.

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Napheesa Collier, the WNBPA vice president, joined the in-person bargaining Friday evening. Other enforcement committee members, Brianna Turner and Alysha Clark, were contiguous earlier successful the week.

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