The dust has barely settled on the 2025 WNBA season, with a new champion freshly crowned and fans still buzzing from the Finals. Yet as the confetti is swept away, the league’s attention pivots sharply to the negotiating table, where the future of the WNBA hangs in the balance. The collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between players and owners is set to expire on October 31, and both sides are bracing for what many expect to be the most consequential labor talks in league history.
For the WNBA Players Association (WNBPA), led by president Nneka Ogwumike, the message is clear: this CBA must be "transformational." The players are pushing for a deal that finally reflects the league’s explosive growth and ensures that their share of the pie grows alongside the business. "The players are still adamant that we get a percentage of revenue that grows with the business, which perhaps includes team revenue, and that's just a part of the conversation," Ogwumike told ESPN in August. As the clock ticks toward Halloween, the stakes have never been higher.
Revenue sharing sits at the heart of the dispute. Under the current CBA, player salaries and the salary cap are determined in advance, with only modest 3% annual raises. The supermax salary, for instance, stands at $249,244. While the league has offered to bump these numbers up, the model itself remains largely unchanged—a sticking point for the union. "It's basically the same system that we exist in right now," Ogwumike added, noting that while the dollar figures might look bigger, the players' share relative to league growth is "virtually staying the same."
Phoenix Mercury forward Satou Sabally echoed this sentiment during the Finals, warning that if the current structure continues, "we would, percentage-wise, go down on our [compensation]." Sabally’s frustration is palpable, especially as franchise valuations skyrocket. The Las Vegas Aces, for example, were purchased for just $2 million in 2021 but are now valued at an astonishing $310 million. The New York Liberty, bought for between $10 and $14 million, now boast a valuation of around $450 million. For players, the question is simple: shouldn’t their compensation reflect this meteoric rise?
Sources have floated dramatic numbers in the press—a potential new supermax salary could leap to $850,000, with the veteran minimum climbing to $300,000. Still, players are wary of big promises tied to a system that doesn’t guarantee their stake will grow as the league does. Satou Sabally summed it up bluntly: "If we continued with this CBA, we would, percentage-wise, go down on our [compensation]."
The league’s negotiating position is complicated by its past. For years, the NBA has claimed to subsidize WNBA losses, muddying the waters over how new revenue should be split. Meanwhile, the WNBPA argues that the days of stagnation are over. The past five years have seen dramatic change, driven in part by the arrival of stars like 2024 No. 1 draft pick Caitlin Clark, whose popularity has injected fresh energy and visibility into the league.
Beyond money, prioritization rules are also on the table. The 2020 CBA required players to prioritize the WNBA over overseas leagues, a shift that has kept some out for entire seasons. Sabally, speaking from experience, questioned whether it’s fair to restrict players’ earning potential based on where they are in their careers or their health status. Still, few expect owners to abandon prioritization entirely.
As if the financial and structural debates weren’t enough, the negotiations are further complicated by a very public clash between players and commissioner Cathy Engelbert. On October 10, Engelbert was loudly booed by fans in Phoenix as she presented the championship trophy and Finals MVP award. The tension boiled over after Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier accused Engelbert of “negligence” and “the worst leadership in the world” during a September 30 press conference. Collier also alleged that Engelbert privately told her Caitlin Clark and other young stars “should be on their knees” in gratitude for the league’s platform—a claim Engelbert vehemently denied on October 3.
The fallout was swift. A planned meeting between Collier and Engelbert was canceled, and sources told ESPN that the relationship is now "pretty much pushed... beyond repair." Ogwumike and other players have voiced support for Collier, but the incident has laid bare the deep rifts at the heart of the league’s leadership.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver weighed in on October 6, acknowledging the urgency of the situation. "There's no question that the WNBA is going through growing pains, and it's unfortunate that it's coming just as their most important games and their Finals are on right now," Silver said. Still, he expressed confidence that a new CBA will be reached, though "relationship issues must be repaired."
The specter of a lockout looms large. Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham didn’t mince words in her postseason interview: "There's a potential lockout. I promise you we aren't going to play until they give us what we deserve." Cunningham called such a move "the dumbest basketball decision, business-wise, ever, considering the momentum the W has." For now, a lockout is not inevitable—previous CBAs have been extended past their expiration while negotiations continued—but the threat is real, especially given the league’s current momentum and surging valuations.
There’s plenty at stake this offseason. The league will welcome two new franchises—the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire—in 2026, with plans to expand to 18 teams by 2030. The WNBA’s new 11-year broadcast rights deal, valued at $2.2 billion (and potentially up to $3 billion with additional partners), kicks in for the 2026 season. Players are keen to ensure their slice of this lucrative pie is fair and future-proofed.
The calendar is packed: the draft lottery is set for November 17, followed by the expansion draft on December 6. Free agency opens January 11 and runs through February 1, while the Unrivaled 3-on-3 league—co-founded by Collier and Breanna Stewart—begins its second season on January 5 in Miami. The WNBA draft is slated for April 14, and training camps will open shortly thereafter.
As both sides prepare for what could be a marathon of negotiations, the league’s fans, players, and owners are all hoping for a deal that matches the WNBA’s newfound ambition. "I don't think anyone wants to see a lockout," Ogwumike told ESPN after the All-Star Game. "That's not something that we're advocating for. We just want to make sure that this is a deal that's done the right way and using whatever time it takes for us to be able to have both sides agree on something."
With the clock ticking and the pressure mounting, the next few weeks will be critical in shaping the WNBA’s future. Whether the league can capitalize on its momentum—or risk stalling out in a labor dispute—remains to be seen. One thing’s for sure: all eyes are on the negotiating table.
