In early February, we would normally write about which Washington Mystics players re-sign, which players go elsewhere and what trades happen. This offseason was supposed to be the biggest offseason ever. And it is. But to this point, it’s mostly because of the CBA negotiations between the WNBA and the WNBPA where there hasn’t been much progress. Or at least enough.
New York Liberty (and former longtime Washington Mystics) guard Natasha Cloud recently had an Instagram live where she spoke about the
negotiations. It’s NSFW, but in short she made claims that the WNBA team owners claim they’re losing money while franchise valuations are going up (and there’s also league expansion). Also, WNBA players are looking for a much smaller share of revenue — Cloud didn’t specify but reports say around 30 percent until very recently — while NBA players get 50.
Now, since then, there are some updates. Yesterday, Alexa Philippou of ESPN wrote that the WNBPA countered by making some concessions requesting revenue sharing of 27.5 percent overall and a less than $9.5 million salary cap in 2026. The WNBPA also relaxed some demands on team housing, especially for players who are on shorter term contracts. The WNBA also gave some concessions to the players where teams will now get two developmental player spots, which allow for team rosters to be higher than 11 or 12.
If you think that the WNBA is accepting the WNBPA’s counterproposal, nope. Here is a statement the league had from Philippou’s article:
The Players Association’s latest proposal remains unrealistic and would cause hundreds of millions of dollars of losses for our teams,” the statement said. “We still need to complete two Drafts [a two-team expansion draft and college draft] and free agency before the start of training camp and are running out of time. We believe the WNBA’s proposal would result in a huge win for current players and generations to come.
My hope is that the two sides still aren’t far apart from getting the offseason started and a 2026 WNBA season from happening. I also do not think that the WNBA wants to lock out the players right before a new media deal happens. That said, WNBA players, unlike their NBA counterparts can play in alternative American leagues like Unrivaled and Athletes Unlimited. They can play in Europe where they can and still make more money than they would in America.
And the WNBPA authorized their executive committee to call a strike last December. There have been reports saying that if there is no WNBA CBA by mid February (and we are at the point now), then the 2026 WNBA season will likely be delayed. After all, there needs to be an expansion draft, free agency, and then a college draft before the 2026 WNBA season starts in early May.
But the players have been reluctant to give many concessions and the concessions they gave weren’t enough for the WNBA to say, “let’s finish a deal.” Many WNBA fans on social media are very pro-player like sports fans are. And because WNBA players can play elsewhere and make similar money, it wouldn’t shock me to see a strike. Perhaps one that COULD (and I’m just saying COULD) last the entire 2026 season. If that happens, the WNBA will be damaged at best like the NHL after the 2004-05 season was cancelled after a lockout. Or at worst, it could be in jeopardy like some league haters say on social media.
So my question to you all is this. Do you see a 2026 WNBA season happening at all? And furthermore, what would a strike mean for the WNBA’s future and its the players? Let us know in the comments below.
