WNBA opener at risk
The WNBA's 2026 season opener could be delayed as CBA talks entered a seventh straight day of negotiations — training camp is scheduled for April 19 and the regular season for May 8 if a deal is reached in time negotiation update, timeline risk.
WNBPA executive director Terri Carmichael Jackson said (espn.com) that negotiators have seen “progress” but that a delay to the 2026 season still cannot be ruled out. Revenue sharing and player housing remain the primary outstanding bargaining items, USA TODAY reported (usatoday.com) as both sides pushed for movement on long‑term revenue splits and who will fund athlete housing. The league had set a term‑sheet cutoff of March 10 to avoid a season delay, the WNBA said (newsbreak.com), and Commissioner Cathy Engelbert later told reporters a deal needed to be completed “by Monday, March 16” to prevent disruptions to the calendar. (espn.com) WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike told reporters she and players were “feeling movement” in talks, CNBC reported (cnbc.com), while an executive‑committee letter from Breanna Stewart and Kelsey Plum raised “serious concerns” about how non‑player leadership was handling negotiations, ESPN reported. (espn.com) Operational milestones could be squeezed: CBS Sports warned a missed deal would compress or postpone the expansion draft, free‑agency window and the April 13 college draft, complicating roster building. (cbssports.com) The league is slated to add the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire in 2026, meaning two expansion franchises’ launch logistics depend on a timely CBA, ESPN reported. (espn.com) Negotiators exchanged roughly 15 written proposals across multiple marathon bargaining sessions and worked into the early morning hours, ESPN reported. (espn.com) The players previously authorized their union to call a strike if necessary, with the WNBPA reporting 93% participation and 98% of votes in favor of strike authorization. (usatoday.com)
