WNBA Extends CBA Talks 40 Days to Jan. 9, 2025

The Women's National Basketball Association and its players' union, the WNBPA, have extended their collective bargaining agreement negotiations by 40 days, pushing the deadline to January 9, 2025, just hours before the previous expiration on Sunday night. This comes as the league submitted its latest proposal, which includes significant salary increases but also cuts to player benefits and an earlier training camp start that could conflict with other professional opportunities.

The proposal, detailed by sources familiar with the talks, projects a maximum base salary of $1 million for top players in 2026, with total compensation potentially exceeding $1.2 million when including revenue-sharing components. The average annual salary would surpass $500,000, and the minimum would rise above $225,000. The team salary cap would jump to $5 million in the first year of the new deal, up from $1.5 million in 2025, and grow annually in line with league revenue. However, the structure would limit players to less than 15 percent of total league revenue, a figure that sources say decreases over the agreement's term despite overall pay hikes.

Players have rejected prior offers, including one...