WNBA: WNBPA agree to moratorium on league business

The WNBA and the Women's National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) have agreed to a moratorium on league business, including free agency, according to multiple reports on Monday.

The two sides were unable to reach an agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) by Friday’s deadline, which had already been extended twice since the end of the 2025 season.

After the CBA officially expired at midnight ET on Friday, the league entered a “status quo” period, maintaining the working conditions of the previous agreement. In a statement, the WNBA said negotiations with the players’ union “remain ongoing.”

Under the moratorium, WNBA franchises are prohibited from extending qualifying offers or “core designations” to players, and cannot negotiate with or sign free agents.

Players are waiting for a new CBA to be finalized and ratified, as it is expected to significantly increase salary-cap space as well as minimum and maximum salaries.

Disagreements remain over player salaries and revenue-sharing methods. The WNBA’s latest proposal would allocate 50–70% of the league’s net revenues to players, while the union is seeking a percentage of gross revenue, according to ESPN and USA Today reports.

In its 30-year history, the WNBA has never canceled games due to labor disputes. However, the ongoing negotiation stalemate shortens an already busy offseason, which must accommodate an expansion draft for the new Portland and Toronto franchises, free agency, and the college draft within a limited timeframe.

—Field Level Media/Reuters