WNBA CBA Update: Will a Deal Be Reached Before Nov 30 Deadline?

• The WNBA is due to sign a new Collective Bargaining Agreement this offseason.
• Negotiations have stalled as the WNBPA fights for increased revenue sharing.
• The latest proposal offers some appealing salaries, but the full details are hidden.

With the WNBA’s explosive growth over the last few seasons, negotiations over the new CBA have gotten quite heated. As some veterans begin to sign with overseas league Project B as they wait, the pressure on the WNBA is mounting. The sooner they get a deal done, the better for the league’s long-term prospects.

WNBA CBA Breakdown

As of November 20, 2025, a new CBA offer has been floated out but not formally accepted or denied. It is not expected to move the needle, though it remains possible that it is enough to reignite negotiations.

What Does the WNBA Want?

The WNBA wants to continue growing its ability to be profitable, while also keeping their books out of the public eye, if possible. While the latter has been consistently brought up as a concern by both players and fans, the former has some room for negotiation. The league wouldn’t have any profits without the players.

What Do the Players Want?

The most crucial aspect that the players are fighting for in the new CBA is to offer similar revenue sharing to other major sports leagues such as the NBA. To put it simply, revenue sharing is an agreement that would pay WNBA athletes a specific percentage of the league’s revenue. The NBA, for example, offers 50%.

However, it is important to note the distinction between revenue sharing and profit sharing. The latter would result in the players receiving a percentage of the WNBA’s profits, which would allow the league to keep growing. Revenue sharing, on the other hand, could put the league in hot water if they give away too much and end up losing money, despite the league’s recent growth. This has been a point of contention.

Latest WNBA CBA Offer

Much of the latest CBA offer has not been revealed to the fans, leaving a lot up for speculation. However, there are some key points to look at. Certain aspects of the players’ wants, such as increased maternity leave and non-exclusivity are expected to be granted without much issue. On the other hand, while the salaries have increased to a more reasonable amount, the revenue sharing details are entirely unknown.
Here are the salary specifics:
– $1.1 million maximum yearly salary (up from ~$250,000)
– $220,000 minimum yearly salary (up from ~$66,000)
– $460,000 average yearly salary (up from ~$102,000)

WNBA CBA Implications

The potential for a lockout has massive implications for the WNBA this year. The league is finally growing at an explosive rate, and needs to do all they can to avoid jeopardizing that momentum with a lockout or shortened season. The Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire, the WNBA’s 14th and 15th teams, need to hold expansion drafts to acquire their first rosters. The longer the negotiations last, the worse off for the WNBA.

WNBA Expansion

Speaking of expansion, the WNBA recently announced plans to add teams in Philadelphia, Detroit, and Cleveland. Combined with the Golden State Valkyries who played their inaugural season in 2025, and the aforementioned Tempo and Fire, and that’s a huge jump from 12 to 18 teams, possibly diluting the talent.

Focusing on expansion teams over larger rosters raises many risks if a new CBA isn’t agreed upon. Delaying the start for these new teams is setting them up with a disadvantage from the start. Toronto and Portland are stuck in limbo, waiting for an expansion draft date to be set so that they can begin meshing as a team.

WNBA Offseason

The offseason is shaping up to be enormously exciting if a new WNBA CBA is signed in time. Every single player, except those on rookie contracts, will be a free agent this offseason. While many will choose to stay with their current teams, the landscape is certain to change massively. The combined uncertainty and excitement of this free agency makes it even more crucial to get a new deal signed as soon as possible.

WNBA Competitors

Further raising the stakes for the WNBA are some growing competitors. The 3-on-3 offseason league known as Unrivaled, founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, has a chance to affect the WNBA season if players end up getting hurt or exhausted during the offseason while participating in Unrivaled.

Another offseason league, Project B, could become an even greater threat with their current $2 million salary offers, recently signing Jonquel Jones, Alyssa Thomas, Jewell Lloyd, and WNBPA President Nneka Ogwumike. It’s worth noting that neither league plays at the same time as the WNBA’s summer schedule.

WNBA CBA Prediction

The WNBA CBA is up in the air, as the players still seem less-than-pleased with the latest offer. Until a large chunk of revenue sharing is agreed on, it seems unlikely that a deal will get done. Ultimately, it hurts both sides far too much for this to result in an actual lockout or a delayed season, especially the average player.

While an agreement by the current November 30 deadline is starting to seem more and more unlikely, I’d feel good about betting that a deal gets done by the end of calendar year 2025, with this much at stake.