The WNBPA has finally accepted the league’s offer for a 30-day extension, pushing the CBA deadline to November 30 to continue discussions around the negotiating table. And yes, it’s not the first time this has happened – the league did it back in 2019, too. When the previous CBA expired, both sides failed to reach common ground and agreed to a 60-day extension, later adding two more weeks before finalizing the deal in January 2020. But what’s helping them now wasn’t there, in its full capacity, before. 

The W is now in its 29th season, averaging 10,987 fans per game – a major milestone. Not only does that reflect tremendous growth, but it also surpasses the NBA’s early trajectory. The men’s league didn’t hit an 11,000 average until its 39th season in 1984. Clearly, the WNBA is on an upward path. And this time, players know exactly where they stand – giving them a sharper edge in CBA talks. So yes, the W in 2025 is “entirely different.”

As WNBA analyst Annie Costabile put it best, “When you think about how negotiations are going and these two sides butting heads…it’s because the players know that they’re at a totally different place than they were in 2019. But the league is still negotiating from a place of sustainability and stability,” she said during an October 31 sit-down interview with Front Office Sports.

Well, yes, ever since the arrival of the 2024 rookie class, the W’s dynamics have completely shifted. According to MRI Simmons, about 42% of WNBA fans began following the league in just the past two years. Nearly half of the league’s fanbase as of now is between the ages of 18 and 34 – a demographic that holds major long-term brand potential. That’s exactly what young stars like Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers have brought in for the league. 

Simply put, they’re marketing gold. These players use their off-court influence to draw new audiences straight into the WNBA spotlight. Costabile added, “So that’s a lot of ground to make up in one CBA… The leverage that they have comes from things like Angel Reese, you know, trademarking her name, Paige Bueckers being announced in this movie, ‘Unrivaled,’ all of these other ways that players are earning… They’re saying, OK, you need to now meet us where we’re at, not where we’ve been.”

So, Angel Reese is a star in her own right – she’s walked the runway for Victoria’s Secret, signed major endorsement deals, and is now expanding her business portfolio. She even secured a trademark for her name, officially granted on October 28 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

And of course, she’s not alone. Paige Bueckers, the 2025 WNBA Rookie of the Year, is making her own Hollywood debut. According to a Deadline report on October 30, Bueckers will star in Apple’s upcoming original film Jess & Pearl, a basketball movie based on an idea by Scandal writer Zahir McGhee.

That’s huge since such off-court ventures build on the momentum and push it forward. Couple it with how players like Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier have already set a new standard for what athlete-led ventures can look like, with their Unrivaled 3-on-3 league now valued at $340 million, and you will be able to understand why the players are not ready to compromise.

Together, these players are elevating the market and reshaping the business of women’s basketball. And that growing influence is exactly what makes the WNBPA stronger – and more confident – in its demands today.

But what does the WNBPA want in the new CBA?

Just last year, the WNBA inked an 11-year, $2.2 billion broadcast deal with Disney, Amazon Prime Video, and new rights holder NBC Universal. Yet even now, the W’s salaries and revenue share of 20-25%  don’t come close to matching the NBA’s 50%. That’s exactly why the WNBPA pulled out of the current CBA last October.

Witnessing the league’s unprecedented growth, the players’ union saw an opportunity to push for a “transformational deal.” But despite a year of discussions, players remain stuck where they started – demanding a new revenue structure and higher salaries.

As WNBPA executive director, Terri Jackson shared, “[The players are] really quite clear and laser-focused on what they’re fighting for” She added in an interview with ESPN last week. “and what they said a year ago was true six months ago, was true six weeks ago, six days ago,” And now, that stance has become non-negotiable for the players’ union.

So when Adam Silver said, “Share isn’t the right way to look at it… There’s much more revenue in the NBA,” the players’ union got triggered and in response they accused the W of putting “lipstick on a pig.” And honestly, it’s understandable – the league’s current proposal still doesn’t tie revenue to overall league income. That’s exactly why the union refuses to meet the league halfway. So what do you think? Will extensions help?