The WNBA has granted a 30-day extension to players for ongoing discussions on a new collective bargaining agreement, as revealed by sources familiar with the decision on Tuesday. The current agreement is due to expire on Friday, and negotiations have been intensifying in recent weeks as both sides aim to reach a new agreement. The league is open to extending the deadline to allow more time for a potentially game-changing deal for players in terms of salaries. In a similar situation in 2019 when the previous agreement expired, an extension of 60 days was agreed upon before finalizing the current agreement in January 2020.
It remains uncertain whether the player union will agree to the extension. ESPN was the first to report on the extension offer. WNBPA senior adviser and legal counsel Erin D. Drake mentioned in a podcast on The Athletic that reaching a deal by Friday requires cooperation from both sides. The league issued a statement refuting any claims of operating in bad faith.
Meetings have taken place over the past few weeks, including one in New York earlier this month, although details have not been publicly disclosed. Players opted out of the existing agreement last year in hopes of securing increased revenue sharing, higher salaries, improved benefits, and a more flexible salary cap. While the WNBA has made offers, it seems they have not met the players’ expectations, and the gap in salary terms remains unclear. WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert expressed during the WNBA Finals the league’s desire for a significant increase in salaries and benefits through a transformative agreement.
The situation between the players and the league has seen heightened tensions, with ongoing discussions aimed at resolving the differences.