With the WNBA’s collective bargaining negotiations at a boiling point, the players are done waiting as WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike just delivered one of the clearest messages yet to commissioner Cathy Engelbert and league leadership.
For the WNBA’s players, the time for symbolic victories is over. With the 2026 season on the horizon, Nneka Ogwumike has made it clear that the next contract won’t be settled for anything less than a seismic shift in the league’s financial structure.
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“When you look at how much is being made, that is basically a decimal,” she said. “A fair share is all we’re looking for. And it’s more than a million.”
With Engelbert and the league facing mounting pressure from the players and the fans as the season draws nearer, the union president’s stance couldn’t be more direct: the players are done settling for symbolic gains; they want real change.
Back in October 2024, WNBA players voted to opt out of the league’s previous CBA, which was originally set to run through 2027. That decision forced the agreement to expire on Oct. 31, 2025, setting the stage for negotiations that have now stretched deep into 2026 without any solution in sight, even after multiple deadlines.
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At the time the last deal was signed, the league was operating in a completely different landscape. The WNBA was still fighting for consistent visibility, stable financial growth, and the kind of mainstream attention it now receives weekly.
However, that version of the league no longer exists.
Since then, attendance has surged. Viewership has reached historic highs. Franchise valuations have multiplied. And in July 2024, the WNBA announced an 11-year media rights deal – reported to be worth around $2.2 billion, which could climb even higher through additional partnerships.
The maximum WNBA salary for the 2025 season was around $250,000, while their latest proposal offers a max base of $1 million, with the potential to earn more after the season with revenue sharing. But that’s just not it for Nneka Ogwumike and her fellow players.
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Why is the Nneka Ogwumike-led WNBPA and the WNBA failing to find common ground?
Even after multiple deadlines have come and gone, the WNBA and the WNBPA are still far apart on the league’s next collective bargaining agreement.
Back in 2022, the WNBA sold 16% of its stake as part of a capital raise led by commissioner Cathy Engelbert to stabilize the league after the Covid pandemic. But while that deal helped accelerate growth by fueling long-term marketing, brand growth, and global expansion, it also complicated the league’s ownership and revenue structure.
Now that the league is in a much stronger financial position, many sources suggest the WNBA may even explore reclaiming that stake, to potentially simplify its structure at a critical moment. Because as the league pushes into its next era, the players are demanding an economic model that reflects the current boom.
Jul 19, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Team Collier forward Nneka Ogwumike (3) looks on before the 2025 WNBA All Star Game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
The union believes the league’s latest offer’s numbers still fall short of what players truly deserve. While the players are pushing for a roughly 30% share through a gross-revenue model, the league is offering less than 15% of the league’s net revenue, arguing that meeting the players’ demands could result in nearly$700 million in losses over the life of the agreement. And this remains the core of why the league and the players’ union remain far apart, with neither side planning to budge.
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But Nneka Ogwumike remains confident in their strategy.
“The energy, the experience from a player’s perspective, it doesn’t feel like anything but upward and forward,” she added. “There’s a level of leverage that comes with that in negotiating. Players understand their worth; they understand their value. That’s what we want. It’s what we deserve.”
With training camps approaching and key roster decisions on hold, do you think both sides can find a common ground before the 2026 season tips off? Tell us in the comments!
The post WNBPA’s Nneka Ogwumike Makes One Thing Clear to Cathy Engelbert As 2026 Season Nears appeared first on EssentiallySports.
