The WNBA and the WNBPA have been involved in a lengthy tug of war in the form of the negotiations for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). With the March 10 deadline very near and still no signs of a compromise between the two parties, the Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese dropped an eye-opening comment on the ongoing discussions.
The possibility of a strike and a season delay has also become a real possibility in the midst, with Reese suggesting that the players’ association has no plans of backing down.
“Everybody wants to play but all of us want to play at what we should be compensated for. So we’re just going to continue to negotiate. Negotiation is not easy. I talk to my team all the time, when I negotiate deals, you go back and forth until you come to a common ground of what we both can go for. I’m just going to continue to be a voice and do whatever I can as a young voice that knows that I do have a platform in this,” she explained, according to a post on X by journalist Kareem Copeland.
Reese went on to reiterate that a strike remains an option.
“We do all want to play basketball, but at the same time we do want to be compensated for what we deserve.”
At the center of the dispute remain salary cap growth and revenue sharing. The WNBPA has pushed for a starting salary cap of roughly $9.45 million, while the league’s current offer sits at $5.75 million for Year 1, with projections suggesting the cap could rise to around $8.5 million by 2031.
Beyond the cap structure, the players are demanding a far more aggressive revenue-sharing model, seeking roughly 25–26% of gross league revenue across the life of the agreement. By contrast, the WNBA’s proposal centers on distributing 50% of net revenue, which equates to less than 15% of gross revenue.
The WNBPA initially sought 27.5% of revenue across the life of the agreement before lowering its ask to roughly 26%. In December 2025, WNBA players voted 98% in favor of authorizing union leadership to call a strike, with 93% participation.
That means the next few days are critical with both sides refusing to budge thus far.
