WNBA commissioner sets deadline for collective bargaining completion
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WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert acknowledged progress is being made in ongoing negotiations between the league and the players union for a new collective bargaining agreement, but also highlighted a deadline by which she hopes an agreement will be reached.
Engelbert said the timeline is intended to avoid disrupting the league’s spring schedule as training camp and preseason games approach.
“We’ve got to get this done by Monday. I have to say, we’ve got to get this done without spoiling some of the fact that we have to run this two-team expansion.” [draft]” said Engelbert.
“We’ve got to start expansion. We’ve got to start free agency. We’ve got to get the college draft, which is a month from today.”
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WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert speaks during a press conference ahead of the WNBA All-Star Game on July 19, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Training camp is scheduled to begin on April 19, followed by preseason preparations on April 25.
Negotiations have reportedly dragged on for hours every day for the past few days.
National Women’s Basketball Players Association Executive Director Terri Carmichael Jackson and Engelbert acknowledged the positive steps taken in recent days, especially on ancillary issues.
A basketball passes through the hoop during warm-ups before the game between the Seattle Storm and the Connecticut Sun at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle on June 20, 2023. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
However, Engelbert noted that both sides “still have a lot to do.”
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Jackson spoke in a cautiously optimistic tone.
“I think the league, especially the commissioner and his staff, have heard that the goal is to continue to transform,” Jackson told reporters. he said. “As long as the movement keeps us moving forward, I think we’re good.”
The two sides have yet to agree on a new revenue sharing system.
A WNBA logo on the field before the game between the Connecticut Sun and the Las Vegas Aces at Michelob ULTRA Arena on June 25, 2025 in Las Vegas. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Different proposals were made by the league and union regarding systems regarding player salaries. While the WNBA’s offer requires players to earn more than 70% of net revenue on average, the union’s latest offer targets 26% of gross revenue over the life of the contract, according to ESPN.
The union reportedly opposed a previous league proposal that called for players to receive less than 15% of gross revenue. The league argued that some of the union’s proposals could lead to millions of dollars in lost revenue.
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WNBPA vice president Napheesa Collier attended the in-person bargaining Friday evening. Fellow board members Brianna Turner and Alysha Clark were also there earlier in the week.
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