And they keep talking.
The Women’s National Basketball Association owners and WNBA players now have until January 9th to get a new collective bargaining agreement done. The two sides could not come up with an agreement in October and decided to try and get a deal done by November 30th. The sides have agreed to another extension. There is plenty of time before the 2026 season starts in the spring but there is a business to run. Portland and Toronto are supposed to be stocked by an expansion draft and there is the WNBA entry draft on April 13th, 2026. If there is a lockout imposed by the owners, players would be barred from team facilities, practices, games, and communications with team staff.
The players don’t want a salary cap while the owners are trying to suppress salaries. Very typical in sports labor negotiations. There may be two factors in the players’ thinking. Two other basketball opportunities. A handful of WNBA players have committed to play in Project B, a women’s basketball startup league that will begin play in Europe, Asia and Latin America in November 2026 and last through April 2027. The league will not overlap with the WNBA season. The Project B women’s basketball league will include six teams with 11 players on each roster, and play a 5-on-5 format. Project B plans to host seven two-week tournaments in locations throughout Europe, Asia and Latin America. Project B will offer players an equity stake in the league and promises to pay more than the WNBA owners are willing to pay for players. There is another league available to the players called Unrivaled. The three players on three players league is going into its second year starting in January with eight teams. The WNBA is not the only game in town for players.
Evan Weiner’s books are available at iTunes – https://books.apple.com/us/author/evan-weiner/id595575191
Evan can be reached at evan_weiner@hotmail.com
