There has been a lot of conversation surrounding the ongoing Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) negotiations between the players of the WNBA and the league's leadership, especially this week since so many athletes were in Indianapolis for All-Star Weekend. The terms of the new CBA will likely impact a lot, from revenue shares to player salaries to benefits — and also whether or not the expansion drafts for the Toronto Tempo and the Portland Fire happen this year.
The rules of expansion are part of what is collectively bargained between the WNBA and the players. Since the 2020 CBA expires at the end of October, not having a new deal in place will mean that both drafts may not be held this calendar year.
Commissioner Cathy Engelbert mentioned the possibility briefly while speaking to reporters ahead of Friday's All-Star Game. She noted that the rules of the expansion draft are "collectively bargained" and added, "We hope that that collective bargaining process will be finished, then a two-team expansion draft with both Toronto and Portland."
The timeline for a new CBA is unclear
The players originally sent a proposal for a new CBA back in February, but the WNBA only just responded in June — right before the All-Star Game.
In fact, reporting from ESPN at the time notes Nneka Ogwumike, president of the WNBPA, said players sent a proposal and a follow-up in February before hearing from the league months later. Breanna Stewart told ESPN the meeting this week was "a wasted opportunity" despite the fact that the players had "stength in numbers."
"Based on their most recent proposal, we just aren't able to get to a place where we're actually even talking about the same thing. So I think that's the hardest thing -- our first offer and then their counter was, like, black and white," Stewart answered.
What this might mean for Toronto and Portland (and free agency)
Delayed expansion drafts could mean a delayed season — especially if WNBA players commit to a strike next year. Theoretically, the expansion drafts for the Tempo and the Fire will take place in December (the Golden State Valkyries, operating under the terms of the 2020 CBA, held their own expansion draft in December 2024), just before the majority of the league is set to become available through free agency.
Such a delay may not bode well for the league and Engelbert, who have touted expansion as key to the W's future — despite player concerns about back-to-back games and injuries — and for the new teams, who are already amassing fan bases even without a roster (or, in the case of the Fire, a permament president).