WNBA offers 30-day extension as revenue-sharing dispute persists

The WNBA on Tuesday offered the players a 30-day extension to continue talks on a new collective bargaining agreement as the current deal approaches its Oct. 31 expiration, but union leaders said a settlement by the deadline is unlikely. The two sides remain divided over how player pay should be structured even as both say they want substantially higher salaries and benefits for players across the league.

At the heart of the dispute is revenue sharing. The players’ association is pressing for a model that ties salaries directly to a percentage of league revenue so pay rises as the business grows. The WNBA has proposed a system that would keep a fixed salary cap while adding uncapped revenue-sharing mechanisms that kick in only after revenue targets are met. Both approaches would produce sizable pay increases in many scenarios, but the union says the league’s plan preserves an underlying compensation structure that limits players’ long-term participation in revenue growth.

Erin D. Drake, senior advisor and legal counsel for the players association, said in public remarks this week that the sides had worked toward a deal but that a new CBA would not be reached by Friday. “We have...