As the scheduled start of the 2026 WNBA season looms ever closer, the WNBA and WNBPA have finally been exchanging proposals at a quicker pace after a long standstill. The players' association’s most recent proposal was sent to the league on Tuesday, and the league responded with its own on Friday after calling the players’ proposal “unrealistic.” The league’s most recent proposal made concessions on player housing, but mainly remained unchanged on revenue sharing, The Athletic reports.

The league’s proposal includes a salary cap of $5.65 million for the 2026 season, the same figure as its prior offer. The WNBA adjusted its calculation of expenses in its proposal to slightly increase the players’ portion of net revenue, but the players would still receive about 15% of gross revenue over the length of the deal. 

This proposed percentage is still far off from the union’s latest proposal, which would give an average of 27.5% of gross team and league revenue to the players. And it is far less than the 50% per season figure most U.S. men’s leagues operate with. We previously broke down the revenue sharing debate, explaining the system change the players are requesting and looking at comparable systems across U.S. sports leagues. 

But the WNBA reportedly called that proposal “unrealistic” and claimed it would result in $460 million in losses over the life of the agreement. How that number was calculated is unclear, and WNBPA executive director Terri Jackson disputed the league’s characterization of their proposal.

“What we have proposed is very realistic. What the league and the teams have done is played games,” Jackson wrote to players.

The league made some changes in its latest proposal in response to player concerns about housing for players on cheaper and short-term contracts, particularly in the more expensive markets like New York and Golden State. In the new proposal, all players would be guaranteed team housing in 2026. In 2027 and 2028, only players on minimum salaries or those with no years of service would be provided housing. After that, the housing benefit would end for all but developmental players, who would be provided studio apartments for the entirety of the agreement. The WNBA’s latest proposal also increased employer contributions to the players’ 401k accounts and increased the benefit for retired players.

Other items changed from the expiring CBA that remain in the league’s newest proposal include: two developmental player spots, new minimum facility standards, increased team staffing requirements, a seventh guaranteed contract per team (there are currently six), codified charter travel and more performance bonuses for postseason awards and playoff series wins.

Both sides are increasingly worried about whether the season will start on time. The WNBA still needs to conduct a two-team expansion draft, unprecedently large free agency period (where all but two veteran players are currently free agents), a college draft and training camp before tipping off the season on May 8. 

If an agreement is not reached soon, players were told that ESPN will begin to re-evaluate the WNBA’s 2026 television windows. Preseason games can be dropped and free agency drastically shortened, but once regular-season games are missed, they are unlikely to be made up due to a lack of arena availability. Right now, no one knows when these negotiations will finally be concluded, but everyone recognizes that sooner is better.