The future of the WNBA season faces uncertainty as CBA contract negotiations between the league and players continue. Five-time WNBA All-Star Napheesa Collier has emerged as one of the strongest voices for player rights. With negotiations stretching for months, Collier made it clear that players are prepared to take serious steps if a fair agreement is not reached.
Napheesa Collier Sends Strong Message on CBA Negotiations
Collier, who serves as vice president of the Women’s National Basketball Players Association, spoke openly about the situation during an appearance on the “Hoop 360 Podcast.” She emphasized that players will not hesitate to sit out the season if the CBA talks fail to produce a favorable agreement.
“Well, for the past year and a half, the executive committee has been urging everyone to save their money because we knew the negotiations were coming up. We never know what’s going to happen.
“You know, if there’s not a season, we want to make sure everyone’s prepared. So hopefully everyone has been doing that. … We want a season to happen, but if we don’t get the things that we are wanting to stay 10 toes down on, then we’re going to sit out for as long as that takes. That’s not what anyone wants, but it’s what we’re willing to do in order to get the things that we feel are fair.”
Her comments come with less than three months remaining before the planned start of the 2026 season. Negotiations between the league and players have intensified as both sides attempt to agree on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
According to ESPN reporter Alexa Philippou, the players’ union recently submitted a new proposal requesting an average of 27.5% of league revenue during the agreement, including 25% in the first year. The proposal also includes a salary cap of under $9.5 million.
This updated offer is slightly lower than the union’s previous request from late last year, which sought approximately 31% of revenue and a salary cap near $10.5 million.
The league responded quickly, calling the proposal unrealistic and warning that the structure could lead to significant financial losses for teams.
Tension between both sides has been building for more than a year. Players officially opted out of the current agreement in October 2024, initiating the present negotiation process. Since then, the league and union have agreed to multiple deadline extensions while continuing discussions.
Despite those extensions, progress has been slow. Talks have now reached their 16th month, and the timeline is becoming critical as the 2026 season is scheduled to begin May 8. Key league events such as free agency and an upcoming expansion draft also depend on a finalized agreement.
Collier has been one of the most outspoken leaders during this process. For now, players maintain that they want the season to proceed. However, Collier’s message makes clear that if negotiations do not result in what players consider fair terms, they are prepared to sit out games to push for change.
