Overview
- After the Jan. 9 deadline passed without a new CBA, the WNBA and players’ union entered a temporary moratorium that pauses free agency, qualifying offers, core designations and most transactions.
- Front Office Sports reports the WNBA is exploring repurchasing the 16% stake it sold for $75 million in 2022, with discussions described as early and details on structure and funding unclear.
- The core dispute centers on revenue accounting and the cap: the union seeks roughly 30% of gross revenue and a ~$10.5 million team cap, while the league’s recent offer uses a net-revenue model near 70% with a first-year cap around $5 million.
- ESPN reporting cited in coverage says the league’s proposal would lift average salaries from about $120,000 to more than $530,000 and increase maximum salaries to more than $1.3 million.
- Players such as Sophie Cunningham say talks show no meaningful progress and warn of a potential lockout, as ESPN’s Rebecca Lobo cautions that union rhetoric could be costing fan support; Natasha Cloud points to Unrivaled as a possible fallback for training and play.