Overview
- Union legal counsel Erin D. Drake said a new collective bargaining agreement will not be completed by the Oct. 31 deadline.
- ESPN reported the league offered a 30-day extension to continue talks, but sources say players would accept only under specific conditions that are not currently met.
- The league says its latest proposal was delivered Oct. 1 and the union did not respond until Oct. 27, as public statements between the sides have grown sharper.
- The core disagreement is pay structure: the WNBPA seeks a fixed-percentage revenue share, while the WNBA touts an 'uncapped' model tied to financial thresholds that also raises salaries, including a supermax near $850,000 and a veteran minimum around $300,000.
- Without an agreement or acceptable extension, a lockout or strike remains possible and offseason operations — including free agency and expansion drafts for Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire — would be put on hold.