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WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert acknowledged progress in ongoing negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement between the league and the players’ union, but also outlined a deadline she hopes an agreement can be reached by.
Engelbert said the timeline is aimed at avoiding disruptions to the league’s spring schedule as training camp and preseason games approach.
“We’ve got to get it done by Monday. I have to say, we’ve got to get it done without disrupting part of the fact that we’ve got to run this two-team expansion [draft]” said Engelbert.
“We’ve got to get the expansion going. We’ve got to get free agency going. We’ve got the college draft, which is now a month from today.”
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WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert speaks during a press conference before the WNBA All-Star Game July 19, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Training camp is scheduled to begin on April 19, followed by the start of preseason action on April 25.
Negotiations have reportedly stretched for hours each day over the past few days.
Women’s National Basketball Players Association executive director Terri Carmichael Jackson and Engelbert both acknowledged positive steps in recent days, particularly regarding accessory issues.
A basketball goes through a hoop during warmups before a game between the Seattle Storm and the Connecticut Sun at Climate Pledge Arena on June 20, 2023 in Seattle. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
However, Engelbert noted that both sides “still have a lot of work to do.”
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Jackson struck a cautiously optimistic tone.
“I think the league, and especially the commissioner and her team, have heard that transformation remains the goal,” Jackson told reporters. “As long as movement keeps us in a forward direction, I think we’re good.”
The two parties have yet to reach an agreement on a new revenue sharing system.
A WNBA logo on the court before a game between the Connecticut Sun and Las Vegas Aces at Michelob ULTRA Arena on June 25, 2025 in Las Vegas. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Various proposals for player salary systems have been put forward by the league and the union. The WNBA’s proposal calls for players to earn an average of more than 70% of net revenue, while the union’s latest proposal seeks 26% of gross revenue over the life of the deal, according to ESPN.
The union reportedly rejected an earlier 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 result in millions of dollars in lost revenue.
Napheesa Collier, the WNBPA’s vice president, attended the in-person negotiations Friday night. Other executive committee members, Brianna Turner and Alysha Clark, were in attendance earlier this week.
