WNBA players characterized their Thursday meeting with Commissioner Cathy Engelbert and ownership representatives as a "missed opportunity" despite expressing hope for future negotiations. The gathering included at least 40 players during All-Star Weekend at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
The players' union opted out of the current collective bargaining agreement last fall, aiming for a new deal by October. Time pressure mounts as the league must conduct an expansion draft for Portland and Toronto franchises ahead of the 2026 season.
Both sides reportedly agree on family planning and retirement benefits. However, major disagreements persist on revenue sharing, salary structure, and player prioritization requirements.
The prioritization issue centers on whether players can compete in other leagues like Unrivaled or overseas competitions during the WNBA offseason. League owners want stricter commitment to the WNBA from training camp forward.
"You can't have exclusivity without paying for it," said Napheesa Collier, who co-founded Unrivaled.
Union president Nneka Ogwumike said the strong player turnout should have yielded more progress.
"This was a very historical way for players to show up, and they understood how big the moment was," Ogwumike said. "We were hoping perhaps more would be yielded given the engagement."
Breanna Stewart called the meeting a "wasted opportunity," citing fundamental disagreements between initial proposals.
"Based on their most recent proposal, we just aren't able to get to a place where we're actually even talking about the same thing," Stewart said.
Players emphasize revenue sharing as transformational given the league's growth since 2019. The WNBA expanded to 13 teams this year and plans 18 teams by 2030, while franchise valuations have skyrocketed alongside a new television rights deal.
"We want a piece of the entire pie. Not a piece of part of the pie," said Los Angeles Sparks guard Kelsey Plum.
The timeline dispute continues, with players claiming they sent proposals in February while the league says it didn't receive amended terms until April.