The latest extension deadline that the WNBA and WNBPA set to get the new CBA deal done came and went on March 10, and both sides are still at the negotiation table. However, Commissioner Cathy Engelbert is signaling that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, hinting that the resolution to the ongoing talks should be monumental.
“We're working as hard as we can to get it done as quickly as possible. It's complex. There's a lot. There's a lot of system elements. There's a lot of structure elements. … This is a big, big league, and we want to do everything we can for the players. So, we're going to keep making progress,” Engelbert said. “We are going to keep going. We're going to get this deal done. And, you know, it's going to be historic.”
Engelbert's comments came after the players' union and the league sat down for a marathon negotiation session that began on Sunday afternoon and ended around 3 a.m. ET on Monday morning. The two parties are scheduled to meet again later on Monday, marking the seventh straight day of talks. Despite the continued effort to get a new CBA in place so the 2026 WNBA season can start on time, Engelbert remains unsure of whether the delayed agreement will end up affecting the campaign.
“I wish I knew the answer to that. I do not know the answer to that,” Engelbert said. “But you see us here at three in the morning, four in the morning, at five in the morning. So that gives an indication that both sides are motivated at that time.”
The main issues keeping both sides from agreeing on a new CBA are revenue sharing and housing. WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike touched on why the players feel strongly about holding out for these points.
“It's very important for us to nail those two things down, which is I think the biggest thing on the agenda today. So we want to make sure that we can get that,” Ogwumike said.
“We've talked a lot about revenue share, which that's obviously going to be — I don't even really like calling it the elephant in the room — like it's there, you know, like we're going to talk about it,” Ogwumike said. “But housing is big, you know, and housing is really big. And I think that perhaps people understanding this negotiation or learning about it has really shown how meaningful something like a housing benefit is, especially for the women in the W.”
