With the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) set to expire on Oct. 31, the WNBA has reportedly offered the Women’s National Basketball Player’s Association (WNBPA) an extension to continue negotiations.
On Tuesday, Oct. 28, ESPN reported the WNBA proposed a 30-day extension to the current CBA to allow more time for the sides to negotiate a new agreement. If the players’ union agrees, an extension will delay a possible work stoppage, whether a lockout by the owners or a strike from the players.
WNBA commissioner Cathy Englebert hinted at the possibility of an extension earlier this month during her annual press conference before the 2025 WNBA Finals, saying, ‘We have extended deadlines in the past.’
The league and players’ union previously agreed to a 60-day extension in 2019, three days before the last CBA was set to expire on Oct. 31, 2019. A new deal was subsequently reached on the current CBA on Jan. 14, 2020, and signed into effect three days later on Jan. 17, 2020.
‘Last time, when I was only a couple days on the job, we got to an extension and got a deal done that was progressive at the time,’ said Engelbert, who took over as WNBA commissioner in July 2019. ‘So again, I feel confident that we can get a deal done, but if not, I think we could do an extension.’
It remains to be seen if the players will agree to an extension as both sides remain gridlocked in negotiations. ESPN reported the players will only consider an extension ‘under the right circumstances,’ but noted players currently feel ‘those circumstances do not yet exist.’
Earlier Tuesday, Erin D. Drake, the senior advisor and legal counsel for the WNBPA, said she’s ‘not hopeful’ a new deal will be reached by Friday in an appearance on The Athletic’s ‘No Offseason’ podcast. “We have worked hard to be able to say on Friday, we did it. Unfortunately, that’s not going to happen,” Drake said.
The main points of contention in the ongoing CBA negotiations are increased revenue sharing and pay structures. The players are seeking a revenue-sharing model that ensures their salaries grow with the league, while the WNBA has allegedly offered a fixed salary system and capped revenue-sharing plan.
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