Overview

• Multiple reports say a new CBA by Oct. 31 is increasingly unlikely, with sources indicating a short deadline extension is the likeliest way to avoid an immediate work stoppage.
• WNBPA chief Terri Carmichael Jackson criticized the league’s urgency, while the WNBA said securing a deal is its top priority and that bargaining sessions are continuing.
• Union executive committee secretary Elizabeth Williams said the target date is “probably not going to happen,” and Sportico reports the WNBPA sent a new proposal after the league’s June counter.
• The impasse is already affecting operations for 2026 entrants Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo, as the league has not set rules or a date for the two-team expansion draft that requires a ratified CBA.
• A prolonged negotiation could delay free agency and expansion planning, even as players seek a modernized revenue share after an 11-year, $2.2 billion media deal and record expansion fees.