Yahoo Sports Daily hosts Caroline Fenton and Jason Fitz provide an update on the WNBA CBA negotiations and discuss what’s holding up the players union and WNBA from agreeing on a new deal. Watch the full episode of Yahoo Sports Daily on YouTube or YahooSports.TV.
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Video Transcript
The WNBA and WNBPA agreed to extend the current Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Through January 9th, 2026, that per Ramona Shelburne.
Either party has the option to terminate the extension with 48 hours’ advance notice.
So, Caroline, it’s like they’re saying, hey, we’re going to extend this out to January.
Unless we get really angry, in which case, two days’ notice is given, We can tell you just to screw off.
This has happened in the past.
You know, we’ve, We’ve seen this before in CBA negotiations.
But I think that getting it right, and we talked about this on Hoops 360 with Ari Chambers from ESPN who does a wonderful and fabulous job covering the WNBA and women Sports as a whole, she said it best when she said they need to get it done right.
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Not get it done fast.
This is the most pivotal time in history of the WNBA.
This is the most critical time for players.
In the WNBA, to get what they feel they deserve.
As much as these things get complicated, really, theyre not that complicated.
At the end of it all, leagues get more of what they want.
It’s just how they negotiate their way to it.
Now, with the one sticking point being here That the players want a percentage, not a flat cap.
They want everything tied in just as we’ve said on the show many times.
Like every other major sport has.
So they just want the same standard that every other major sport has.
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And I get that.
But how do you force billionaire owners to act?
That when they may just not want to?
They may just choose that they dont want to be a part of that.
I think thats the most interesting part of this, because pride is the downfall of man.
Woman, in this case.
So, at some point, you have to decide how much Fight I am willing to have, Caroline, because if the answer is we wont sign anything That has a flat number on it, if that’s what the players are saying.
I believe the players will lose.
I do not believe the players can win.
Entire league to change, even though I think they’re right.
Even though I think, they want important things to focus on.
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At the end of the day, if that’s the only sticking point in this, There’s just not enough counter-negotiation to any of it.
The owners can beat the players here because frankly, they have more money.
They have more patience; they have more time.
They don’t need it as much now.
All these things stacked together make for Bad negotiations.
