The WNBA might be on the brink of the league's first-ever lockout.
On Monday, Front Office Sports reported the Women's National Basketball Player's Association (WNBPA) and league officials are no closer to securing a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) ahead of the October 31 deadline — and it sounds like the WNBA isn't especially worried about rushing the process.
"The players are working diligently to achieve a transformational CBA that builds on the growth, momentum, and positive news surrounding women’s sports and the W,” WNBPA executive director Terri Carmichael Jackson told Front Office Sports. "As we approach the 60-day mark, the league’s lack of urgency leaves players wondering if it is focused on making this work or just running out the clock. Fans do not want that. They are with the players in demanding a new standard for the W."
The WNBA soon issued its own statement: "We have been clear with the WNBPA but so there is no doubt—our number one priority is to get a new collective bargaining agreement completed that addresses the players’ priorities while also supporting the long-term growth and success of the league and teams,” a spokesperson for the WNBA told Front Office Sports. “We have been meeting with the union throughout the summer and will continue to meet until this gets done, with additional sessions already scheduled through the rest of the season."
What happens if the WNBA doesn't reach a new agreement
There are a few scenarios on the table if the players and the league cannot come to a consensus by October 31. They can opt to extend the current CBA for a set amount of time (that both groups would agree to), which is exactly what happened in 2019 — an an agreement was reached in time for free agency in January 2020.
But the players could also go on strike, which would be a first for the WNBA and could result in dire consequences for the league. While the players have made it clear they are open to continue to negotiate with the W for as long as it takes, there's no denying that a work stoppage is on the table.
A lockout at this moment is unprecedented for the league; there was a brief delay to the start of the 2003 season, but something of this magnitude has simply never happened before. A strike would impact recent gains in terms of game attendance and viewership, would mean many athletes would have to turn to leagues like Unrivaled and AU Pro Basketball (or travel overseas), and presumably would mean the league itself would have to contend with a multitude of problems related to media deals.
On top of that, the WNBA is set to bring two new teams into the fold this year. Expansion Draft rules for the Toronto Tempo and the Portland Fire have yet to be set because such rules are baked into the CBA — and it's not clear what is going to happen going forward. This could mean both drafts are delayed, and even that the two teams fail to make their debut next season.