EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsNEW YORK -- After a marathon, 12-hour bargaining session running Tuesday evening into Wednesday morning, the WNBA and its players' union did not reach a deal on a new collective bargaining agreement.The talks took place on the target date the league had given the union and its teams last month for a term sheet to be completed by to avoid the 2026 schedule being impacted.Women's National Basketball Players Association executive director Terri Jackson told reporters the bargaining session featured "a lot of conversation going in the right direction," while WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert added "we're working hard ... and still have work to do."The meeting, which started at 5 p.m. ET Tuesday, was in-person only and took place at a midtown Manhattan hotel, considered a neutral site for both parties. In addition to league and WNBPA staff, four of the seven WNBPA executive committee members were in attendance: president Nneka Ogwumike, vice presidents Breanna Stewart and Alysha Clark, and treasurer Brianna Turner.The league was represented by Engelbert, head of league operations Bethany Donaphin and New York Liberty owner Clara Wu Tsai, among others.Players left the meeting just before 3 a.m. as negotiations continued between league and union staff members. The players declined to comment on the talks. The union and league wrapped up discussions about two hours later.Engelbert briefly spoke with reporters but did not take questions, saying both sides are working hard on securing a win-win deal.She called the talks "complex" and "complicated" and the pursuit of a transformational deal "really important to the future not just of the league, but of women's sports."Asked whether there were indications a deal could be reached in the coming days Jackson responded that "conversations are continuing, and they need to be.""Every meeting is a positive meeting," Jackson said. "Seriously, every meeting is a positive meeting. The fact that we scheduled meetings, that we offer dates to schedule meetings that we actually get together, get in the room. I think that's positive. It's taking as long as it's taking. But you know, that's what it needs to be."Engelbert declined to say how much flexibility the league had around its March 10 "deadline" beyond adding "we've got to get this deal done. We've got to get it done soon."Training camp is scheduled to start April 19, with the WNBA draft set for April 13. The league must also hold a two-team expansion draft and free agency for 100-plus players before the season tips, currently slated for May 8.The two sides have been far apart chiefly on revenue share, with other issues of importance including team-provided housing, adjusting the core designation and retired player benefits.The WNBA has proposed players receive on average over 70% of net revenue (revenue after deducting expenses). Its proposal included a $5.75 million salary cap in 2026 (up from $1.5 million in 2026) that in subsequent years would grow in line with revenue growth.The league's proposals have featured maximum salaries, including revenue sharing payouts, amounting to nearly $1.3 million in 2026 and projected to approach $2 million in 2031. The supermax in 2025 came in at $249,000. The average player salary, including revenue sharing, was projected to reach $540,000 in 2026 and $780,000 by 2031, up from $120,000 in 2025.In its previous proposal, the players' union asked for players to receive 26% of gross revenue (revenue before expenses) over the lifetime of the agreement, with the salary cap in Year 1 of the deal at about $9.5 million.The union has bristled at the league's proposal for amounting to less than 15% of gross revenue, while the WNBA has called the union's proposals "unrealistic" and claimed they would result in hundreds of millions of dollars in losses.
