With just weeks until the scheduled start of the 2026 season, the WNBA has imposed a March 10 deadline to finalize a new collective bargaining agreement, warning that failure to reach a deal would delay the season. The league communicated the ultimatum to players on Feb. 23, four months after the original deadline passed.
Las Vegas Aces center Kiah Stokes voiced her frustration on Instagram, accusing the league of stalling. “The league refused to negotiate in good faith (for) the last 18 months. Now tryna speed (expletive) up so we sign whatever,” she wrote. In a later interview, Stokes added, “The process has just been frustrating. We want to play, we don’t want to strike if we don’t have to.”
The primary sticking point remains revenue sharing. The players’ union wants a percentage of gross revenue, while the league insists on sharing net revenue. The union’s latest proposal, sent Friday, includes a 26% share of gross revenue, down from 27.5% in an earlier offer. That would translate to an average salary cap of $9.5 million in 2026. The league’s counteroffer of 70% of net revenue would set the cap at $5.65 million.
Under the 2020 CBA, players received 50% of incremental revenue above an undisclosed target. The 2025 salary cap was $1.5 million, and the supermax salary was $249,000. The league’s Feb. 20 proposal includes an average player salary of $540,000 in 2026, rising to $780,000 by 2031, including revenue sharing.
The union’s Friday proposal also included concessions on housing, offering to cover housing for all players but eventually phasing out the benefit for those earning at least 75% of the max on multiyear or guaranteed deals. Previously, the threshold was 80% and included multiyear deals.
In December, 93% of WNBPA members authorized a strike, but internal divisions have emerged. A Feb. 24 union meeting became contentious, with some players questioning whether a strike is the right move. One player said headlines about average salaries are misleading because they don’t benefit role players. “We need to stand together and do what’s right for all players,” the player said. “The last couple of CBAs haven’t been kind to role players.”
Adding to the tension, nearly a dozen agents sent a letter to union executive director Terri Carmichael Jackson demanding transparency. The signatories include representatives of stars such as A’ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray, Jewell Loyd, Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier, Paige Bueckers, Caitlin Clark, and Angel Reese. Notably absent were agents representing nearly half the league’s players, including Marcus Crenshaw and Fabio Jardine. One agent said they were unaware of the letter but acknowledged its message.
The 2026 schedule was released last month, with training camps set to open April 19 and preseason starting April 25. The rookie draft and expansion drafts for the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo are also pending. None of that can proceed until a CBA is reached.
