The WNBA has decided to grant players a 30-day extension for further discussions on a new collective bargaining agreement, as per two sources familiar with the matter. The current agreement is due to expire on Friday, and tensions have been escalating recently as both sides aim to reach a new deal. The league is willing to extend the deadline, although no official announcement has been made yet.
Extending the timeline would allow more room for negotiation towards a potentially groundbreaking deal in terms of player salaries. In 2019, a 60-day extension was agreed upon after the expiration of the previous CBA, leading to the ratification of the current agreement in January 2020.
The acceptance of the extension by the players’ union remains uncertain. WNBPA senior adviser and legal counsel Erin D. Drake mentioned in a podcast that reaching a deal by Friday would require cooperation from both sides.
The league has issued a statement refuting any claims of bad faith in the negotiation process. Meetings have been held in recent weeks, including one in New York earlier this month, as discussions continue. Players opted out of the current CBA last year in hopes of securing increased revenue sharing, higher salaries, improved benefits, and a more flexible salary cap.
While the WNBA has expressed the desire for a transformative agreement with substantial salary and benefit enhancements, players have not found the league’s offers satisfactory so far. The exact gap between the sides in terms of salary parameters remains unclear.
As tensions between the league and players persist, the WNBA aims to facilitate constructive engagement to move negotiations forward and achieve a mutually beneficial agreement.