WNBA moves closer to labor strike following Players Association vote

The players' vote, which received 98 percent support among the 93 percent of participants, per ESPN WNBA reporter Alexa Philippou, shows the union is willing to stand its ground in the lengthy, often thorny, dispute with the league over its next collective bargaining agreement.

On Wednesday, New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart expressed her frustration with how talks are going, telling reporters (h/t The Athletic), "What we're doing right now isn't really getting us anywhere," before wondering aloud if NBA commissioner Adam Silver and deputy commissioner Mark Tatum "need to come to the table." 

Several WNBA players are gearing up for the second Unrivaled season, the 3v3 league co-founded by Stewart and Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier, the WNBPA vice president.

Dallas Wings point guard Paige Bueckers, who is set to play her first Unrivaled campaign when the league tips off in January 2026, recently spoke with ESPN women's basketball reporter Kendra Andrews about the impact of having so many players in south Florida for the upcoming season.

"Unity is the best way to display strength, so for us to be together, all be on the same page, ask questions, get to understand what we are standing for... it's really important. We want to take full advantage," Bueckers said.

Players' share of league revenue has been central to the dispute. Per The Athletic, the WNBPA has proposed a deal that would give players 29 percent of revenue in 2026 and a one percent each year until the end of the CBA. The league, meanwhile, has offered "less than 15 percent of total league and team revenue, with that percentage decreasing over the life of the CBA."

Other issues must also be hammered out, but unless the league meets players closer in terms of revenue, a strike — the last thing the WNBA needs — could soon go in effect.

That would derail all forward momentum the league's gained in recent years, spurred by Caitlin Clark's arrival and maintained by the rising profiles of fellow stars including Bueckers, New York Liberty forward Sabrina Ionescu, Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson and Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese.

The WNBA also plans to expand to 15 teams in 2026 with the additions of the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo, one year after the Golden State Valkyries tipped off their inaugural season.

In June 2025, the league announced future expansion to Cleveland (2028), Detroit (2029) and Philadelphia (2030).

Thursday's statement solidifies the WNBPA as holding the leverage in negotiations. With a near-unanimous vote, the union could force the WNBA's hand by formally going on strike. That's a possibility the league shouldn't entertain, even if that means giving players what they want.