The WNBA and its players have entered a purgatorial status quo upon the expiration of their last collective bargaining agreement.
There was no buzzer-beater this time around.
The WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement with its players officially expired after the latest deal deadline passed on Friday. Negotiations had been extended on several occasions, but the latest landmark has yielded no agreement that would allow preparations for the 2026 season to tip off.
The WNBAPA statement regarding the expiration of the current CBA. pic.twitter.com/HFX8js0o0C
— WBB Buzzer
(@UnrivaledBuzzer) January 10, 2026
Both sides have generated statements over the weekend, with the WNBA Players Association getting theirs out of the way early, staging an inflatable rat display outside of the NBA Store in Manhattan. The PA explained its actions in a release posted less than an hour before the prior CBA’s expiration.
“Today’s display of an inflatable rat, a universal symbol of labor protest, outside of the NBA Store, calls attention to how the league and its teams have handled these negotiations,” the statement reads in part. “By delaying and clinging to the status quo, they are jeopardizing the livelihoods of players and the trust and investment of fans, all in the name of preserving regressive provisions that no longer belong in women’s basketball.”
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WNBA Responds
The league unveiled its own statement shortly after midnight Saturday, confirming the CBA’s expiration and labeling negotiations with its players as “ongoing.”
“As the league experiences a pivotal time of unprecedented popularity and growth, we recognize the importance of building upon that momentum,” the league’s quote says. “Our priority is a deal that significantly increases player salaries, enhances the overall player experience, and supports the long-term growth of the league for current and future generations of players and fans.”
While players recently granted the WNBPA executive board clearance to declare a strike, no such stoppage has been enacted yet, nor has a lockout by the league. With both sides entering a state of status quo under the old CBA, Alexa Philippou of ESPN reported that a free agency moratorium would allow core designations and qualifying offers to be extended by teams.
The WNBA issued the following statement: pic.twitter.com/RZe5PcLgjW
— Sara Jane Gamelli (@SaraJGamelli) January 10, 2026
But with over three-quarters of the league destined to hit free agency as signers of short deals that expired after last year (in anticipation of a potentially larger payday under a revamped CBA), it’d be wise not to expect much activity.
Revenue sharing continues to stand as a sticking point in the negotiations, particularly a battle over whether players would get a percentage of the gross or net. That’s a much larger pot this time around, thanks to massive expansion fees put forth by upcoming franchises in Cleveland, Detroit, Philadelphia, Portland, and Toronto, as well as a new media deal with Amazon, Disney, and NBCUniversal.
According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, both sides remain at odds over revenue share. While the league is offering 70 percent of net revenue, the players are asking for 30 percent of gross revenue.
Philippou’s recent report states that the league has no intention of a lockout at this time. There is no posted or rumored start date for the 2026 season, though several offseason landmarks from last year have already passed: by this point last offseason, the 2025 schedule had been released, and an expansion draft to form the Golden State Valkyries’ original roster had been held.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on X @GeoffJMags
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