The WNBA is likely headed toward a lockout. The current Collective Bargaining Agreement expires at the end of October and the players want more money. They are not happy with the league’s latest proposal, which would feature a massive pay raise.

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The WNBA is likely headed toward a lockout. The current Collective Bargaining Agreement expires at the end of October and the players want more money.

They are not happy with the league’s latest proposal, which would feature a massive pay raise.

Even though the money is going to increase, the athletes are demanding change to the current financial model of the WNBA. They will not settle for anything short of fair compensation so a stalemate between the two sides is likely going to cause a work stoppage prior to the 2026 season.

WNBA players want parallel pay.

Nneka Ogwumike is the president of the WNBA Player’s Association. The 35-year-old is one of the most decorated players in the league. She was drafted No. 1 overall in 2012, named as the Rookie of the Year, made 10 All-Star rosters, won a league championship with the Los Angeles Sparks and was named as the MVP that season. Those are only some of her accolades.

Not only does Ogwumike have plenty of experience in/with the WNBA, she graduated from Stanford. The nine-year veteran is more than qualified to represent the players during these financial negotations.

“The players are still adamant that we get a percentage of revenue that grows with the business, which perhaps includes team revenue, and that’s just a part of the conversation,” she told ESPN.

Salary caps in the NBA are set annually based on a percentage of what the collective bargaining agreement defines as “basketball-related income.” The WNBA currently sets its salary cap prior to each season with a predefined increase of only three percent.

Players want the WNBA to follow a model on par with the NBA. They believe salaries should increase based on growth, not based on a random number.

The league is offering more money, temporarily.

According to Ogwumike, the WNBA’s latest offer to its players focused on a dramatic increase to the salary cap and maximum base salaries. A league source suggested to ESPN that salaries could increase four-fold, from $249,244 to at least $1 million.

That is obviously a huge bump in pay but it does not solve the core issue of the CBA and its structure.

“It’s basically the same system that we exist in right now,” Ogwumike said. “They’re proposing a system that includes revenue that would grow with the business. When you approach it from the perspective of their response to our proposal, yes, money is more, but ultimately if you look at the growth of the business, the money relative to the percentage of everything is virtually staying the same.”

Players want the money to grow as the league grows. To offer this 4X increase right now would create the exact same issue if the WNBA stays on its current trajectory.

A $1 million base salary could be significantly undervalued in just a few years and then we are right back where we started. Players will not settle until a parallel pay system is in place with growth at the forefront.

And thus, a lockout is imminent.