The stalemate in the WNBA’s labor negotiations may have a new wrinkle, as the league has officially submitted a fresh CBA proposal to the players’ union. After a period with no updates, the Monday meeting came as a hope for fans.

The future of the WNBA hinges on two numbers: revenue share and salary cap. With a new proposal finally submitted by the league, the question isn’t just what’s in it, but what’s missing.

However, the governing body arrived at the meeting without a concrete counter-proposal against the earlier CBA terms put forth by the WNBPA. The player representatives left the meeting with the promise of a new CBA proposal from the governing body soon.

The WNBA has now fulfilled that promise, submitting a fresh CBA proposal to the player union.

What Does the WNBA’s Latest CBA Proposal Include?

The latest WNBA proposal for CBA terms reportedly includes concessions on housing and facility standards. Developmental players will be given studio apartments, while players on their minimum salary and with no prior years of service will be provided a single bedroom for the first three years on their respective deals.

However, the WNBA proposal does not reveal or go into details about salary caps and revenue sharing, which is the primary bone of contention for the players’ union. The latest WNBPA proposal had suggested a 30% share of gross revenue and a salary cap of $10.5 million.

Meanwhile, the governing body’s last proposal mentioned a 60% share for the players from net revenue, and a salary cap of $5.65 million. To put things into context, the last CBA agreement had a salary cap of around $1.5 million for the 2025 season. The league’s stance is that giving a portion of gross revenue would result in heavy annual losses, and their own proposal offers the lion’s share of net revenue while making sure the league can operate without financial troubles.

What Could This CBA Mean for the 2026 WNBA Season and Beyond?

WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike had highlighted how the two bodies remain far apart in terms of revenue sharing and salary cap. Ogwumike stated that the players were keen to play and that other terms would be agreed upon swiftly once they found common ground on revenue sharing and the salary cap.

With the new WNBA proposal not having any suggestions on the two contentious points, the moratorium is likely to continue. Free Agency has already taken a hit, with January to early February likely the period when players and teams start talking about new contracts. There are over 100 free agents this season, and we could see a large part of the conversation and signing happening during March Madness, which could have its own issues.

To make matters worse, the Expansion Draft has already been delayed, and the WNBA still hasn’t clearly laid out the rules for the new teams. Right now, Toronto and Portland don’t even know which players will be available to them, making it tough to plan ahead. That kind of uncertainty isn’t ideal for franchises trying to build their first-ever rosters. Even Toronto head coach Sandy Brondello has admitted that the lack of clarity could make the process even more challenging.

To add to this, the WNBA Draft is also pending, with the preseason training all that has to happen before the season starts in early May. There are genuine concerns about the season being pushed back, which will cause further headaches, as the schedules have been released and a few teams have already opened select tickets for sale.