October 3, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert speaks during a press conference prior to the 2025 WNBA Finals game between the Phoenix Mercury and the Las Vegas Aces at Michelob Ultra Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvani-Imagn Image WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said it is urgent to complete a new collective bargaining agreement by Monday to avoid “disrupting” key dates on the calendar.
“We have to get it done by Monday. I would say we have to get it done without getting in the way of any part of the fact that we have to run this two-team expansion (draft),” Engelbert told reporters Friday. “We’ve got to do expansion. We’ve got to do free agency. We’ve got to have the college draft, which is a month from today.”
The league and union have been holding double-digit hour sessions each day since Tuesday. Front Office Sports reported Friday that the two sides met for a total of 16 hours at a Manhattan hotel until 3 a.m. that day.
League officials set a March 10 deadline for a new CBA deal to avoid losing regular season games. The 2026 WNBA Draft is scheduled to open on April 13, training camp is scheduled to open on April 19, and the regular season is scheduled to open on May 8.
The league and players have been at a standstill for months with revenue sharing, a revised salary cap and housing issues among the major issues.
Terri Carmichael Jackson, executive director of the Women’s National Basketball Players Association, reiterated Friday that “a system that is tied to revenue in a meaningful way” remains a priority for players and that progress has been made during these negotiations.
“I think the league, especially the commissioner and her team, have heard that change is still the goal,” Jackson told reporters Friday. “As long as movement continues to move us forward, I think we’re fine.”
The union is represented by Women’s National Basketball Players Association Executive Committee President Nneka Ogwumike, Breanna Stewart, Brianna Turner, Alysha Clark and Carmichael Jackson. Representatives included League Operations Director Engelbert, Bethany Donaphin, New York Liberty owner Clara Wu Tsai, and Connecticut Sun president Jennifer Rizzotti.
–Field level media
