Multiple sources from multiple sources have alleged that players for the WNBA have become re-energized, and potentially less interested in striking, after a recent counter-proposal and timeline demands from the WNBA on Monday.
WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike
There are a bunch of sentences in here that deserve our attention. Let’s peek at a couple (but please read the entire thing if you can; it’s not long, and it’s packed with vital information):
The headlining statement is that a discussion among players on Tuesday evening was “tense”, “spirited, passionate, and at times tough”, but that “ ‘Honest debate is not division,’ (WNBPA executive director Terri Carmichael) Jackson wrote. ‘It is engagement.’ “
Let’s take a look at the next three quotes together:
Players authorized a potential strike in a near-unanimous vote in mid-December, but some players have changed their mind since.
One source said more than half of player leadership reaffirmed their commitment to striking if necessary. The strike vote authorized the union’s executive committee—made up of seven players and led by president Nneka Ogwumike—to call a strike whenever it felt it was necessary.
Additionally, Jackson made it clear that a CBA would not become final without the vote of members. As was the case for the previous CBA, the union would need the majority of players who vote to be in agreement in order to reach a deal.
The players have wavered a bit on their willingness to strike this season (They had a near-unanimous votein December that is now described as “more than half”). The pressure has suddenly raised, and a real-life timeline with real-life consequences has been presented, so I’m not shocked to see some people soften on the idea of sitting out games this season. This is their livelihood, afte rall.
The WNBPA only needs a majority (simple majority? I’m not sure) to accept a deal. Also noted: the union only needs a majority of players who vote, which to me reads as abstaining being an option for players.
After Tuesday’s meeting, a group of more than 10 agents representing players of varying standing sent their own letter to union leadership, offering to help in whatever way might be necessary to get a deal done.
I read this as a message from players to the union that they really want to make a deal happen ASAP.
If a deal were to happen on this new proposed timeline, here is how that could look:
Additionally, league officials had calls with general managers to lay out a timeline for league business if a deal was reached by the second week of March.
The league told GMs that if a deal is verbally agreed to on March 10, it would not be signed until March 31, according to multiple sources. In this timeline:
the expansion draft would be held between April 1 and 6
Qualifying offers, including core designations, could be sent out on April 7 and 8
followed immediately by a negotiating period from April 9-11
The signing period would begin on the April 12 and extend through the 18th, a day before training camp begins April 19th
The college draft would be held on April 13
That’s basically the entire off-season: the entire creation of two teams, the free-agent signing of well over 100 players, and the college draft all happening in just 18 days.
We don’t know what these processes could look like if the season is affected further, either with delays or a strike. No matter what, the 2026 season’s timeline is officially going to be weird.
Finally, here’s two quotes to remind us that we should be on the players’ side, and that the league has not been a great partner in negotiations so far:
The pressure being placed on negotiations by the league (from it’s messaging on Monday) has been met with confusion, as the union waited roughly six weeks for a counterproposal to one it submitted in late December.
The WNBA is waiting on a response from the union to its proposal sent on Feb. 20. In it, they made no movement on its proposed salary cap of $5.65 million per team or revenue-sharing percentage. The only significant change was to team housing, which the league put back on the table for all players, but only in 2026. The league has provided housing to all of its players since 1999.
That’s it for today. I hope I’ll write to you again in 11 days (or less).