The Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) came back to the table this week with a revised collective bargaining proposal, making notable concessions on two of the most contentious in what has become a grinding, 16-month negotiation. But the league wasn’t impressed, and with the 2026 season scheduled to tip off May 8, the window to get a deal done is closing fast.
The players union lowered its revenue-sharing ask considerably from its December proposal. Where they had previously sought a 28% share of gross league revenue in the first year of a new agreement– averaging 31% over the life of the deal– the new counterproposal drops that to 25% in Year 1, averaging roughly 27.5% across the agreement’s term. The proposed salary cap came down accordingly, falling from around $10.5 million to just under $9.5 million. Though that’s still a far cry from the league’s own proposal of $5.65 million, the movement signals the union is willing to negotiate in good faith.
The players also showed some flexibility on housing. Under the new proposal, teams would be required to provide housing to players during the early years of the agreement. However, in later years, players on long-term, fully guaranteed contracts earning near the maximum salary would no longer be entitled to team-provided housing. The league had previously pushed to strip housing benefits almost entirely, offering accommodations only to minimum-salary players and rookies through 2028, so the union’s willingness to phase it out for higher earners shows a middle-ground gesture.
The fundamental sticking point, though, remains unchanged: how revenue sharing gets calculated. The league continues to push for a model based on net revenue, which works out to less than 15% of total gross revenue going to players. The union insists on a gross revenue model, arguing that basing player compensation on a figure the league itself controls through expense reporting gives ownership too much leverage.
The WNBA did not take long to respond to the new proposal, and it wasn’t warm. A league spokesperson stated, “the Players Association’s latest proposal remains unrealistic and would cause hundreds of millions of dollars of losses for our teams. We still need to complete two Drafts 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.” The league also claimed the proposal would result in $460 million in losses over the lifetime of the deal, though it has not made its financial records public or released the methodology behind that projection.
The union has pushed back on those loss estimates, calling them “absolutely false” and noting that the league’s calculations appear to exclude expansion fees from its revenue figures. WNBPA Vice President Napheesa Collier commented on the situation, “we don’t think, obviously, what we’re asking for is unfair, otherwise we wouldn’t be asking for it.” Collier added, “we have to be able to stand strong in what we believe in and make sure that we are getting a fair cut in this pie that we are building together.”
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver acknowledged at All-Star weekend that negotiations are dangerously close to the 11th hour, though he stopped short of setting a hard deadline. The absence of a deadline itself is a concern. The league still needs to conduct an expansion draft for two new franchises, followed by free agency and the college draft, currently scheduled for April 13. Training camp is expected to begin April 19. Every day that passes without an agreement makes it harder to complete all of that business before the start of the season. Some league sources have estimated that a deal would need to be in place by early March at the absolute latest if the season is to open on schedule.
The players authorized a strike back in December, and with both sides still polarized on the central economic question, a strike is a serious possibility. If no agreement is reached within the next two weeks, WNBA fans should expect a delayed season, or worse.
Sources:
Annie Costabile, WNBPA Seeks 25% of League Revenue in Counterproposal, Front Office Sports (Feb. 17, 2026).
Alexa Philippou, Sources: WNBPA counterproposal includes some concessions on revenue share, housing, ESPN (Feb. 17, 2026).
Sabreena Merchant, WNBA players submit counterproposal with lower revenue share, salary cap, The Athletic (Feb. 18, 2026).
Albert Lee, Will there be a 2026 WNBA season at all?, Yahoo Sports (Feb. 18, 2026).
Robin Lundberg, WNBA Warns Time is Running Out in Dismissing Players’ Latest CBA Proposal, Sports Illustrated (Feb. 18, 2026).
Meghan L. Hall, Napheesa Collier on WNBA CBA talks: “Someone’s gonna have to fold”, USA Today (Feb. 18, 2026).
As a second-year law student at UB Law, I've found my calling at the intersection of sports, labor law, and collective bargaining. Growing up watching professional basketball and football, I was always captivated by the games, but in law school, I developed a deep interest in what happens off the court and field.
I'm particularly drawn to the high-stakes world of CBA negotiations, where leagues and players' unions negotiate over revenue sharing, workplace protections, and compensation models. Through this blog, I analyze the legal strategies behind sports headlines, breaking down complex labor disputes, arbitration cases, and contract negotiations.
This is where my love of sports meets my dedication to law. Welcome to the conversation!
Leave a Reply