With the current CBA agreement about to run its course on January 9, 2026, the need for a new deal has become imperative. The deadline has already been extended from October 31, and it seems there won’t be any further extensions.

The WNBA players have already given the “Power of Attorney” to the WNBPA’s exec committee, who have been given a free hand to do the needful. While the original standpoint between the two parties (WNBA and WNBPA) had come to an impasse, WNBPA Vice President Breanna Stewart has now shared a glimmer of hope for a brighter future.

“Yeah, I mean, the next three days is tough for sure. I am very confident that we will get the deal done. It’s kind of unfortunate that it has taken this long, but hopefully we are gonna be able to turn the page soon and really kind of get deep into all the negotiations that we’ve been struggling to agree on,” said Breanna Stewart while speaking to Ballislife, reassuring everyone about the developments.

Just three days ago, there was no clarity about the whole CBA saga as everyone involved looked for more answers. Would the deal be finalized? That was the question to which everyone needed an answer.

Fellow Vice-President and Breanna Stewart’s business partner, Napheesa Collier’s comment on Good Morning America just a couple of days back didn’t help the cause either.

“We are at a bit of a standstill. The timeline is coming up in a couple of days. It’s gonna expire,” Collier expressed, and that piece of information was far from comforting.

So, Breanna Stewart’s words definitely felt like a breath of fresh air. But the story isn’t over yet.

While Stewart might suggest a possible resolution path is up for grabs, the reality might be something very different.

WNBPA and WNBA are yet to come to an understanding

While the players would like nothing more than the WNBA to honor their deal, it seems there are still issues that have halted the progress altogether. The league had suggested that the players would receive in excess of 70% of net revenue, which was verified by USA Today from a reliable source.

The players have stressed about increased revenue sharing and salary structures in negotiations, and that is exactly where the league’s front office has drawn the line, per ESPN.

The league’s front office is reportedly against the WNBPA’s proposal to give players a 30% share of gross revenue. Their reason behind this call is that it would cost the league $700 million in losses over the course of the agreement, based on a previous financial audit.

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The players’ union has, however, labeled those claims as false. They are confident that this would make the league even more profitable.

The WNBPA believed that factoring the $250 million fees from the recently announced expansion franchises into their projections would still result in a net gain for the owners. But again, the WNBA countered that claim.

They noted that this move would result in no net revenue since new teams would pay the expansion fee but earn a fractional share of league revenue in the future, while preexisting teams would get a portion of the fee but lose a fractional share of future league revenue.

The league’s counter proposal then introduced a system where players would receive in excess of 50% of the revenue, but only after subtracting expenses. It also came in with some basic alterations, proposing an uncapped revenue sharing component, a raise of maximum salaries above $1.3 million and up to nearly $2 million, while average salaries top $530,000 and grow to more than $780,000 over the life of the deal.

Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier are undoubtedly involved and want to find a way through, but will the big honchos abide by their rules and grant them their wish? Or will there be another extension at play? With the 2026 WNBA season looming close, hard decisions will have to be made soon for the sake of the game.