WNBA CBA Deadline Expires Without New Deal

The Women's National Basketball Association and its players' union, the WNBPA, failed to reach a new collective bargaining agreement before the deadline expired at midnight Eastern time on Friday, January 9, 2026, leaving the league to operate under the terms of the previous deal while negotiations continue.

The expiration marks the end of two prior extensions to the original October 31, 2025, deadline, first pushed to November 30 and then to January 9. Both sides have entered a status quo period, in which the existing CBA's provisions on salaries, benefits and working conditions remain in effect. Officials from the league and union have stated that no work stoppage is planned, with the WNBA confirming it has no intention of imposing a lockout and players emphasizing that a strike serves as leverage rather than an immediate option.

At the heart of the impasse are disagreements over revenue sharing and salary structures. The league's latest proposal offers players more than 70 percent of net revenue, after expenses such as upgraded facilities, charter flights and arenas are deducted. It includes a maximum base salary of $1 million in 2026, potentially rising to $1.3 million...