The WNBA and the WNBPA did exactly what Caitlin Clark and Breanna Stewart wanted them to do: a marathon bargaining session. But even after 12 hours of negotiations, they couldn’t get a deal done. WNBPA executive director Terri Jackson told reporters that Tuesday’s bargaining session featured “a lot of conversation going in the right direction.” After another approximately 8 hours of negotiation, WNBPA President Nneka Ogwumike gave some positive updates regarding the development. 

Fans are already  panicking since the March 10 deadline has already passed and there is still no deal. They now expect the season to be delayed. However, the deal still needs to be done as soon as possible for the situation to not get worse. And Nneka Ogwumike has indicated that a deal could be on the horizon soon. 

“With each hour and each proposal that goes across the table, it solidifies more and more amongst ourselves, amongst communication with other players, what it is that we’re fighting for,” Ogwumike said via Annie Costabile of Front Office Sports. “Also, us needing to lock in to what we got going on. At the end of the day, we want a season. We want to play. We’ve heard that from the other side as well. We need to see a more robust demonstration of that as we continue on in these negotiations.” 

She further mentioned that 7 proposals have been exchanged over the past two days. The WNBPA has sent in their 8th and is waiting for a response. According to Alexa Phillippou, the players left for the night, while staff members like Terri Jackson remained in the meeting with the WNBA featuring Commissioner Cathy Engelbert and New York Liberty owner Clara Wu Tsai and Connecticut Sun president Jennifer Rizzotti.

It feels like all the buildup from the past 18 months has led up to this. It’s make or break for the WNBA, and both want to deliver. The two sticking points in the latest reported proposals have been the revenue share and housing. The WNBA had included housing for the applicable minimum salary and those with zero years of service would be provided a one-bedroom apartment for the first three years of the new deal. 

But the revenue-sharing amount remained at 15% of the net, while the WNBPA was willing to go to 26% of the gross revenue (average). Since the two sides still appear days away from a new deal, the 2026 season could now be at risk. Yet, Nneka Ogwumike insisted that the WNBA’s timeline was not that serious.

Nneka Ogwumike Disregards WNBA’s 10th March Deadline 

Even after the two sides agree upon a CBA deal, there is a lot to be done. The lawyers will take at least 2 to 3 weeks to ratify the final CBA after the handshake deal. The WNBA season is set to tip off on May 6 with the Training camps in April. They don’t have much room to extend it beyond November because of the NBA season. Many teams share their arenas with NBA teams and the league would have to fight for national tv slots with other sports. So, starting on time is essential. However, Nneka Ogwumike thinks that they can still play in 2026 despite crossing the March 10 WNBA-given deadline. 

“We’ve read a lot of things about timelines,” Ogwumike said. “There’s been timelines that have been thrown out, but for us, we’re trying to get a good deal done and we want to play this season. So, to me, that’s the time that we’re on.” Yesterday, Cathy Engelbert declined to reveal if they had any flexibility around its March 10 “deadline,” other than adding “we’ve got to get this deal done. We’ve got to get it done soon.” 

There is a lot to do in between an agreed CBA and the season. A two-team expansion draft featuring Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo. The biggest free agency in the history of the league and the rookie draft.

“It’s obviously a long process and we’re fighting hard,” Brianna Turner said. “It’s an exciting process, fighting for the past, present, and future of the WNBA.” If the league wants to start on time, it needs exceptional coordination with the players. Only time will tell if they can achieve that.