The latest updates on the ongoing negotiations between the WNBA and its players point to a strike starting very soon.
NBA All-Star weekend is in the rearview, and this year’s event had a notable omission: the inclusion of WNBA stars. Usually, the all-women’s league owned by the NBA has a presence on All-Star weekend. But that wasn’t the case this month because the WNBA is in the middle of negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement. An agreement that does not seem close to completion.
Even during the 2025 WNBA season, there were loud rumblings that a strike or lockout was very possible. With interest in the league hitting new heights the last two seasons, players want increased pay and feel they deserve it. However, the league’s owners want to be cautious about the recent boom and not overextend their financial capabilities if the recent growth can’t sustain itself.
Negotiations have been going on for months with little progress, and it could soon pass a point where a delayed start to the season is locked in. According to a recent report from Front Office Sports, “if a deal is not done within the first two weeks of February, the season will be delayed.”
More evidence emerges that a WNBA strike is about to happen
The new season is supposed to start on May 8, and the league still has the expansion draft for the Toronto Tempo and the Portland Fire, free agency, and the 2026 WNBA Draft on its offseason to-do list before the new season can begin.
Adding to the idea that a strike by players is imminent is the fact that one was actually rumored to be announced this weekend. “A rumor throughout the weekend was that there would be a demonstration by WNBA players in Los Angeles to push for a better deal or even announce a strike. But the weekend ended without any such event,” FOS reports.
There may be no better evidence that players are under the impression a strike is coming than two-time WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart agreeing to a deal with Turkish club Fenerbahçe. The impending free agent will begin playing in Turkey a few weeks before the next WNBA season is supposed to start. If she thought a CBA agreement was not far off, it’s very unlikely she would sign such a deal.
The league’s most recent proposal is reportedly still below 15% of total league revenue and includes a salary cap of $5.65 million.
