It had been twelve months since the WNBPA pulled out of the current CBA, and the urgency to get a new deal inked was at an all-time high. “We have been negotiating with the Players Association in good faith and with urgency for several months to finalize,” shared the W’s anonymous spokesperson. The league also submitted a proposal for a 30-day extension on October 1. Ever since, the players’ union had been accused of “disseminating public disinformation by spending more time there than actually engaging at the negotiation table.” But is that really the case?

Not really. Just a few hours before the lockout deadline, the WNBA and its players’ union reached a temporary truce. According to The Athletic’s Ben Pickman, the WNBPA accepted the league’s offer for a 30-day extension, pushing the CBA expiration date to November 30. This move gives both sides more time to finalize a new agreement. And truth be told, it’s not uncommon for the W to extend negotiations when it comes to CBA talks.

When the last CBA expired in 2019, both sides first agreed to a 60-day extension and then added two more weeks before the deal was finalized in January 2020. So yes, this step feels like a positive one. Still, while the W doesn’t have any major events this month, a further delay could throw several key dates off the schedule. The need of the hour is to get a new CBA at least within sight – and that still seems a bit difficult.

Even though both parties agreed to the extension, they’ve continued exchanging public criticism over how the negotiations have been handled so far. The union accused the W of “putting lipstick on a pig” after NBA Commissioner Adam Silver commented, “Share isn’t the right way to look at it…. There’s so much more revenue in the NBA,” when asked if WNBA players deserved a larger share of league revenue.

“There’s so much more revenue in the NBA,” Silver had said. When asked about the salary structure, Silver added, “It should be looked at in absolute numbers in terms of what they’re making, and they’re going to get a big increase in this cycle of collective bargaining. They deserve it.” That statement alone triggered the WNBPA, which blasted the league for its lack of urgency in discussions.

And to make matters worse, the W responded through yet another anonymous spokesperson who claimed the union was looking for an extension under circumstances that “do not yet exist.”  So, the players’ union replied with an agreement, but will they agree to the current proposal for the CBA, too?

Players stand firm on their demands

Both the WNBPA and the league met multiple times over the past week leading up to the original October 31 deadline. And according to FOX Sports sources, one of the biggest hurdles for the players’ union has been the revenue-sharing model. Since the beginning, players have demanded a new revenue structure in which their salaries are tied directly to the league’s overall business growth, and clearly, it has become non-negotiable for them.

As Terri Jackson, the WNBPA’s executive director, put it best, “[The players are] really quite clear and laser-focused on what they’re fighting for… and what they said a year ago was true six months ago, was true six weeks ago, six days ago.” So far, the league has countered with an offer that includes a supermax salary of nearly $850,000 and a veteran minimum of $300,000.

However, the WNBA’s current proposal still ties revenue to league income rather than team revenue, and that’s why a new CBA agreement isn’t in sight just yet. So, what do you think? Will the league be able to get it done, especially with the added pressure of two incoming expansion teams, the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo?