The players of the WNBA have spoken.
The Women’s National Basketball Players’ Association executive committee announced Thursday that the players’ union has been authorized to call a strike “when necessary” as contentious collective bargaining agreement negotiations remain ongoing.
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A “historic” 93 percent of the players participated in the vote, with 98 percent voting yes.
The WNBPA said the decisive outcome is “an unavoidable response to the state of negotiations with the WNBA and its teams.
Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever and Sabrina Ionescu #20 of the New York Liberty wears a shirt saying “Pay us what you owe us” prior to the 2025 AT&T WNBA All-Star Game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on July 19, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Getty Images
“Time and again, the players’ thoughtful and reasonable approach has been met by the WNBA and its teams with a resistance to change and a recommitment to the draconian provisions that have unfairly restricted players for nearly three decades,” the union said in a statement. “The players’ vote is neither a call for an immediate strike nor an intention to pursue one.
“Rather, it is an emphatic affirmation of the players’ confidence in their leadership and their unwavering solidarity against ongoing efforts to divide, conquer, and undervalue them. Let it be known. The players remain united, resolute, and prepared to fight for their value and their future.”
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Meanwhile, the WNBA “strongly disagreed with the WNBPA’s characterization of the current state of negotiations” which the league suggests “fundamentally misrepresents” the ongoing discourse between the parties.
“It’s difficult to understand claims that the league is resistant to change, particularly given that we are proposing numerous CBA modifications including significant immediate salary increases and new uncapped revenue-sharing model that would ensure continued salary growth tied to revenue growth,” the WNBA said in a statement. “The WNBA remains steadfast in its commitment to reaching an agreement as soon as possible. … We have negotiated in good faith and with urgency.”
The latest proposal from the WNBA includes a maximum base salary starting at $1 million that’s projected to rise to $1.3 million with the league and team revenue sharing component included, according to sources with knowledge of the situation.
The average salaries in the first year are projected to be more than $530,000 and the minimum salary to be more than $250,000 in the first year, sources said.
Napheesa Collier #24 of the Minnesota Lynx warms up before the game against the Phoenix Mercury. NBAE via Getty Images
Over the length of the proposed agreement, the maximum salary could rise to nearly $2 million, and average salaries to $770,000, according to sources.
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The WNBA has not had a work stoppage in league history, and the vote is only one step in the multiphase process.
Hours before the current CBA was set to expire Nov. 30, the WNBA and WNBPA agreed to a second extension that pushed the deadline to Jan. 9.
Under the current agreement, each side has the right to terminate the deal with 48 hours notice, which would temporarily delay players from launching an immediate strike.
The timing of the vote came as somewhat of a surprise, but the potential for a work stoppage had been on the table for months, with players saying over the summer that they were preparing themselves for whatever might happen.
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And while neither side wants to delay the start of next season, it appears players are willing to hold out to get what they believe they deserve, even if it means temporarily shutting down the league.
Over the past week, some players expressed frustration at the lack of progress in dialogue with the league.
“We’re not going to get anything done today,” Storm guard Skylar Diggins said Tuesday at Unrivaled media day. “We haven’t heard what we want to hear yet. I know that for sure. And so we’re still fighting for what we want. We still want to be heard and taken seriously.”
.Breanna Stewart #30 of the New York Liberty is interviewed by the media after the game against the Phoenix Mercury NBAE via Getty Images
With negotiations seemingly at a standstill, the Liberty’s Breanna Stewart said she would be open to NBA commissioner Adam Silver and deputy commissioner Mark Tatum pulling up a seat to the bargaining table.
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“What we’re doing right now isn’t really getting us anywhere,” said Stewart, a co-founder of Unrivaled and vice president of the WNBPA. “If that means Adam and Mark need to come to the table, we’re more than happy to have that and just making sure everybody understands what we want and how we feel.”
Players have been clear about their desires for not only increased salaries but a robust revenue-sharing model that would see players’ income mirror the league’s monetary growth.
Owners recently offered players an economic model that would pay them less than 15 percent of league revenue, according to reports.
The union countered with 30 percent.
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Other priorities include improved benefits for mothers and former players, increasing roster size and improved staffing.
With CBA talks now dragging into the 14th month, Lynx forward Napheesa Collier said players remain in “lockstep” with one another since they decided to opt out of the current deal in October 2024.
“I don’t think there’s fatigue,” Collier said. “Obviously, there’s frustration in that both sides are trying to get what they want. But we still have that fire within us and that we’re willing to do what it takes, and we’re going to do whatever it takes to get what we think we deserve.”
