The WNBA and the WNBPA have been in a tug of war for a new CBA for more than a year now. Monday’s long-awaited sit-down in New York City was meant to be a step forward, but it only clarified that tensions remain high.

For the first time since the fall, the league and the players’ union met in person to discuss a new collective bargaining agreement ahead of the 2026 season. This meeting carried so many expectations that, among 40 virtual attendees, even Breanna Stewart made time to join, despite having a game the same day.

However, instead of progress, the three-hour session ended with the players frustrated, and the possibility of a strike still very much in play.

The union submitted its most recent CBA proposal six weeks ago, so they entered the meeting hoping negotiations would finally move forward from that framework. But the league arrived without a counterproposal.

“They volunteered that they did not have a proposal prepared at the top of the meeting,” Nneka Ogwumike revealed in a conversation with Front Office Sports. “That kind of set the tone for the conversation because we were hoping to hear otherwise.”

So, what did they discuss for three hours? The meeting became more of an explanation session, with both sides walking each other through the reasoning behind their latest positions. While sources suggested that this allowed them to ask each other questions and establish a direct connection, the lack of an official response from the league left the players feeling that the urgency of this situation still isn’t being matched by the league.

The WNBA reportedly said it would finally begin working on a formal reply. However, after weeks of waiting, that update did little to ease the players’ concerns.

But the union still holds its leverage, a strike. And until the league formally responds, the players believe there is little they can truly negotiate.

“There are so many more conversations that have to happen before a strike can even be called,” Alysha Clark added. “After the meeting today, it’s still on the table. Until we get a response from the league about proposals, there’s nothing that we’ve been able to negotiate and go back and forth with to even warrant, ‘Ok, what does a strike look like?’ It’s on the table, as it has been since the strike authorization vote happened.”

While the face-to-face dialogue was a much-needed step, a strike feels more real with every delay. And the reason both sides remain stuck comes down to one central issue.

WNBA CBA talks still stuck over revenue sharing and salary structure

The league’s most recent proposal (submitted back in early December) offered an average salary of roughly $530,000 in the first year of the deal, along with a maximum salary figure around $1.3 million, while additional earnings could come through a revenue-sharing model tied to the team and league income.

But for players, that structure doesn’t do justice to what they bring to the table.

They demand a significantly higher salary cap, around $10.5 million, and a revenue-sharing model based on gross revenue, which would allow players to receive their share before any expenses are taken out. And that gap, between what players believe they’ve earned and what the league believes is sustainable, has become the central roadblock preventing real progress.

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With the 2026 season scheduled to tip off on May 8, major league business remains unsettled, including an expansion draft for Toronto and Portland, a free agency period expected to feature over 100 unrestricted players, and the regular draft set for April 13.

That growing urgency is exactly why Monday’s in-person meeting mattered. The WNBA has never experienced a work stoppage, but with the timeline tightening and the two sides still far apart, the pressure to find common ground is only intensifying.