WNBPA Says CBA Talks 'Going in the Right Direction' After 12-Hour Bargaining Session With WNBA

The Women's National Basketball Players Association provided a positive update Wednesday regarding labor talks with the WNBA.

According to ESPN's Alexa Philippou, WNBPA executive director Terri Jackson told reporters that there was "a lot of conversation going in the right direction" during 12 hours of negotiations from Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said, "We're working hard ... and still have work to do."

Last month, Philippou reported that the WNBA informed teams and the WNBPA that a new collective bargaining agreement needed to be reached by March 10 in order to ensure that the 2026 WNBA schedule would not be impacted.

While March 10 came and went without a deal, Jackson characterized the talks as "positive."

Engelbert did not get into specifics regarding whether the March 10 deadline passing meant games would have to be removed from the 2026 schedule, saying only, "We've got to get this deal done. We've got to get it done soon."

Revenue sharing, higher player salaries and a higher salary cap have been among the biggest issues discussed between the WNBA and WNBPA, per Philippou.

Currently, the 2026 WNBA preseason is scheduled to start on April 25, followed by the start of the regular season on May 8.