NEW YORK — After a three-hour meeting Monday at the NBA offices, the WNBA players’ union left with the understanding it would soon have a new proposal on a collective bargaining agreement.
It came Friday evening, when the WNBA submitted its latest proposal to the union, a source told ESPN, confirming news first reported by The Associated Press. This ended a more than six-week wait from the players association for a counter to its last offer.
Speaking earlier Friday, WNBA players’ union president Nneka Ogwumike said significant work remains for the season to start on time but said she remains confident games will be played in 2026.
«I know our players 100% want to play this year,» she said in a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press on Friday. «We want a season.»
Toronto and Portland.
The last CBA was announced in the middle of January 2020, a month after it had been agreed to. It could easily take two months from when a new CBA is reached to get to the start of free agency, which was supposed to begin last month. With a massive salary raise expected in a new CBA, 80% of players in the league are free agents this offseason, which makes this the biggest opportunity for player movement in the history of the WNBA.
A delay would hurt both sides as every game that is missed, revenue would be lost, as would sponsorships, television money and fan support.
Ogwumike, who is in her third term as union president, said that the long wait for a response hasn’t been all bad, as she and union leadership have had a chance to talk with WNBA players. She was in Nashville, Tennessee, on Thursday with union leadership at Athletes Unlimited. It was a chance to take a pulse of the players.
«I actually like the fact that we’ve had these six weeks now, still waiting for a proposal. It’s given us the gift of time,» she said. «And so, you know, in December, after the strike authorization vote, we were able to meet in Miami and talk to players.»
Players voted to give union leadership the right to strike in December. Ogwumike said despite that, a strike is not imminent, although the union posted on social media a video about the 1964 NBA All-Star Game strike. The NBA All-Star Game is next weekend in Los Angeles.
«Having the strike on the table is something that we’re very much aware of, but there’s so many more conversations that have to happen,» Ogwumike said. «You know, we’re not just going to say, ‘Hey, today’s the day [we’ll strike].’ You know, I think that’s what we’re demonstrating right now is negotiating in good faith.»
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
