© Chris Jones/Imagn
If you were hoping to watch your favorite WNBA team or players compete in the league in 2026, now might be the time to look away.
The league has been locked in an ugly battle with players over new collective bargaining agreement for several months now, and it doesn’t appear the two sides are getting any closer to an agreement.
In fact, according to a new report from Annie Costabile of Front Office Sports, neither side is budging, with the league proposing the same salary cap of $5.65 million as it did last time in its latest offer.
While that number is a massive jump from the $1,507,100 cap that team had in 2025, it’s still not more than the 15 percent of revenue that players have continually asked for.
The WNBA And WNBPA Remain Miles Apart In CBA Negotiations As Deadline Nears
The first preseason game of the 2026 WNBA season is scheduled for April 25 between the Indiana Fever and New York Liberty. That means that the sides have a little over two months to come to an agreement before a labor stoppage.
However, as indicated above, it does not seem as if much progress has been made toward an agreement.
According to Costabile’s reporting, the WNBPA submitted a proposal on Feb. 17 that sought a salary cap of around $9.5 million as well as a 25 pervent share of the league’s total revenue in the first year of the new CBA.
Under the proposal, the revenue share number would rise to an average of 27.5 percent over the life of the CBA.
The WNBA quickly shot the offer down and responded publicly, issuing a statement claiming that the proposal was “unrealistic” and would result in “hundreds of millions of dollars” in losses for the league.
Meanwhile, NBA players are guaranteed a revenue split of 49-51 percent of basketball-related income, with a portion of player salaries held in escrow and returned only if/when league revenue targets are met.
However, the WNBA isn’t entirely unflinching in its negotiations.
The league proposed housing for all players in 2026. Under a prior proposal, the league would provide one-bedroom apartments for players on the proposed minimum salary and rookies, and studio apartments for developmental players, beginning in 2027.
The one-bedroom offering would be phased out after the 2028 season, but the studio apartments would be provided throughout the life of the deal.
However, players see the offer as relative breadcrumbs to what they’re seeking. All of which is to say, the odds of a 2026 WNBA season beginning at any time, let alone soon, are looking more and more slim.