When the WNBA released 2026 schedules for every team — including two teams that haven't even hosted expansion drafts yet, and therefore don't have rosters — many fans naturally assumed a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) must have been signed. After several players shared reactions to the schedule that made it clear that's not the case, fans began to grow uneasy: why share a schedule if no one is yet onboard?
At this point, all available reporting has indicated the league has opted to simply not respond to the players' most recent proposal. Per ESPN, the league is waiting for a new proposal that is considered more "realistic." Both parties are in a bit of a stalemate, the players appear unwilling to compromise on both revenue sharing and team housing (and likely a whole other host of issues).
While signing a new CBA is a crucial first step toward hosting expansion drafts for the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire and then allowing around 100 free agents to sign contracts, at this point it's also a first step. For the 2026 WNBA season to be a success, both the players and the league will have to learn to trust one another again — and that's a process that may be more easier said than done.
The WNBA and WNBPA aren't seeing eye-to-eye
The players have taken their CBA fight public for months now; many fans can still easily recall the "Pay Us What You Owe Us" shirts they wore ahead of the All-Star Game in Indianapolis in 2025. At the time, the possibility the season could end without a new agreement in place or nearly so seemed remote; at this point, it's clear that not only do both parties not agree, there's an element of trust that's missing from the conversation entirely.
A lot has changed in the last two or three years. That's true in general, in the larger world that we all occupy — people from all over the world are more brazenly, resolutely, and loudly pushing for a world they want to live in, whether that's at home, work, or anywhere.
That's also true in the WNBA. While some have tried to encourage players to quiet down and be happy for what they've got, the truth of the matter is this CBA fight is a labor dispute informed by both the past and the present. One of the biggest goals is to set up a better foundation for players in the future, but to do that, the players who are in the league now will need to find a way to rebuild with the W. That's a big task, and one that will unfold over time — and it starts with both sides finding a way to respectfully meet.