Despite multiple deadlines, the WNBA and the WNBPA are far from finding common ground. While the preseason is scheduled to tip off on April 25, several season-defining processes are still on hold. So the pressure is no longer theoretical; as each day passes, the tension only intensifies. WNBA insider Ramona Shelburne explains why March has turned into a make-or-break month.

“80% of the league are free agents,” Shelburne said on The Rich Eisen Show. “Everyone timed their contracts. Everybody signed one-year deals, and everyone timed their contracts to coincide with this new CBA. So literally, there’s not even really any teams. There’s only like 20% of the league that’s under contract for next year. So the pressure point is, at some point, there has to be a reasonable time for free agency… the two expansion teams need to have an expansion draft.”

“We’re in the middle of February now,” Shelburne said, explaining the reality. “It’s got to happen sometime in March because those two things really do need to happen. It’s not just the draft and free agency, it’s not just the draft and training camps, it’s that nobody knows what team they’re on right now.”

Free agency remains frozen until a CBA deal is signed. The expansion draft tied to two new franchises is also on hold. Roster planning for preseason matchups, such as the Indiana Fever’s game against the New York Liberty on April 25, is in limbo because the WNBA and WNBPA cannot see eye to eye.

The Fever have 10 players headed for free agency, which includes Kelsey Mitchell, Natasha Howard, and Sophie Cunningham. That’s nearly the entire supporting cast around Caitlin Clark, potentially without contracts. So the question is: if there is no agreement before their matchup, what will the roster look like aside from Clark, Aliyah Boston, and Makayla Timpson?

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The situation is just as confusing for the defending champions, the Liberty, who have Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, Jonquel Jones, Natasha Cloud, and Emma Meesseman on their unrestricted free agent list.

In short, two marquee franchises expected to headline the preseason can barely put together a starting five, let alone an entire roster, if negotiations stall.

However, the good news is that the WNBA and WNBPA are moving more quickly this time, as the league submits its latest proposal.

WNBA and WNBPA finally agree on one key factor in new CBA proposal

The WNBA submitted a new proposal on Friday, which introduced guaranteed housing for all players in 2026, a provision that had not appeared in earlier league proposals during these negotiations, according to Alexa Philippou of ESPN.

Under the new framework, the benefit would be scaled back after 2026. Players earning the applicable minimum salary and those with zero years of service would receive one-bedroom apartments in 2027 and 2028, while developmental players will be provided studio apartments for the entirety of the agreement.

This counterproposal from the league came just three days after the players’ union submitted its own revised offer, ending a six-week stalemate and accelerating negotiations as the new season approaches.

However, while there has been notable progress on housing and roster structure, the core problem remains unchanged.

The WNBPA is seeking an average of 27.5% of gross revenue over the life of the deal, starting at 25% in Year 1, alongside a salary cap of under $9.5 million. However, the league has labeled the proposal as “unrealistic,” projecting approximately $460 million in losses over the life of the agreement, if implemented.

The WNBA wants to follow a structure in which players would receive over 70% of net revenue, which translates to less than 15% of gross revenue, with a $5.65 million salary cap in 2026. Although it marks a significant jump from the roughly $1.5 million cap in 2025, the offer is nowhere close to what the players are demanding.

Beyond compensation, the two sides have agreed to include two additional developmental roster spots, increased employer contributions to players’ 401(k) retirement accounts, updated staffing and facility standards, and codified charter flights. The league has also proposed a recognition payment for retired players with eight or more years of service, starting at $4,500 annually, with increases included in the latest offer.

Still, neither side has resolved the fundamental disagreement over how to divide the league’s growing revenue pie.

With March approaching, that unresolved question is exactly what makes this moment so critical for the league.