Rumors

The WNBA and the players' union met for about three hours Monday in the first in-person bargaining session involving players since October, a gathering one source close to the situation described as "helpful" as both sides work toward a new collective bargaining agreement. The gathering was based more on sharing the sentiments, philosophies and perspectives driving each side's positions and having honest dialogue around those viewpoints, sources said, as opposed to exchanging new proposals. Sources told ESPN it was valuable for both sides to meet in person, ask questions and receive direct answers, as they look to break the monthlong stalemate in talks, with the 2026 season scheduled to begin in less than 100 days and the need for a deal increasingly urgent.

ESPN

The WNBA and the players' union met for about three hours Monday in the first in-person bargaining session involving players since October, a gathering one source close to the situation described as "helpful" as both sides work toward a new collective bargaining agreement. The gathering was based more on sharing the sentiments, philosophies and perspectives driving each side's positions and having honest dialogue around those viewpoints, sources said, as opposed to exchanging new proposals.

ESPN

There was some disappointment on the players' side, another source with knowledge of the situation said, because the league did not offer a response to the union's proposal that was submitted in late December. The expectation coming out of Monday's meeting, the source said, was that the league now understood that it was its turn to respond.

ESPN

Caitlin Clark is headed to the NBA, at least for a couple of nights. NBC announced Tuesday that Clark — the Indiana Fever star with an enormous following within the game — is joining the network’s pregame coverage for its debut of “Sunday Night Basketball” this weekend when the Los Angeles Lakers play the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. It’s set to be a two-night gig for Clark, who plans to return to NBC in another pregame role on March 29 when the Knicks visit the Oklahoma City Thunder. “There’s no more iconic figure in basketball in the women’s game right now, or the game in general,” Sam Flood, executive producer for NBC Sports, told The Associated Press. “So, we said, ‘let’s have a bigger conversation.’”

Associated Press

The Sporting News: Paige Bueckers, who grew up in Minnesota, spoke out against ICE's actions in her home state.

x.com

The WNBA and the players’ union will meet in person in New York City on Monday for the first time since the fall amid stalled CBA negotiations. Talking to reporters at Unrivaled, Kelsey Plum said she and fellow union VP Napheesa Collier will travel to New York after their teams play each other in Miami on Sunday night. WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike will be in attendance as well, along with the league’s CBA leadership, labor relations committee, and league and union staff, a source with direct knowledge of the meeting told Front Office Sports. The meeting will also include team owners.

Front Office Sports

“I feel extremely excited for the opportunity to be there in person,” Plum said. “Obviously with other players that are really invested in this in the executive committee. Then of course, the league making a commitment to be there. At the end of the day, that’s the most important thing. We’re meeting together and hopefully we’ll have something.” The WNBPA sent a proposal at the end of December that the league failed to respond to for more than four weeks. The league didn’t believe the contents of the union’s proposal warranted a response, according to a source familiar with the league’s thinking.

Front Office Sports

Ramona Shelburne: The WNBA and WNBPA have reached an agreement on a moratorium for league business, sources tell ESPN. This is necessary because the sides had failed to reach an agreement on a new CBA agreement or an extension by the January 9 deadline.

x.com

The WNBA and Women's National Basketball Players Association failed to agree to a new collective bargaining agreement or an extension of the previous one at Friday's 11:59 p.m. ET deadline, but both sides are expected to continue negotiations amid a bitter impasse as they work toward a transformational deal. With the CBA expired, the league and players' union are also discussing a proposed moratorium that would halt the initial stages of free agency in which teams would seek to deliver qualifying offers and core designations to players, sources told ESPN.

ESPN

The WNBPA said in a statement that "despite demonstrating our willingness to compromise in order to get a deal done, the WNBA and its teams have failed to meet us at the table with the same spirit and seriousness. Instead, they have remained committed to undervaluing player contributions, dismissing player concerns, and running out the clock." "In the face of the league and teams' actions, the players remain undeterred, unafraid, and unwavering in their commitment to doing what is necessary to secure a transformational new CBA.... Make no mistake. Pay equity is not optional and progress is long overdue. We urge the league and its teams to meet this moment. The players already have and will continue to do so."

ESPN

Ramona Shelburne: While it doesn’t seem like there are any immediate consequences to another formal or informal extension of WNBA CBA talks because training camps don’t open until April…I’m starting to hear increasing concern about how this delay could affect scheduling next year. In other words, if theres no CBA, there’s no schedule and arenas start to give dates away to other events.

x.com

Alexa Philippou: Re: the decision to not extend the CBA again: League sources believe both sides will get a deal done & there will be 2026 season. Too much at stake if games are missed. But we may not see a new CBA for a little while longer. The possibility of a super condensed offseason is real

x.com

Kendra Andrews: NEWS: Breanna Stewart says that she has been told a new extension will not be agreed upon by tomorrow’s CBA deadline, but the expectation is for the WNBA and Players’ Association to continue to negotiate in good faith.

Twitter

Is partnering with the WNBA its best bet? “I don’t want to speak too much of what’s going on behind the scenes, but as I’ve made very clear we’re open to grow the ecosystem,” Unrivaled president Alex Bazzell said Monday. “Whichever way that looks like. For us there is nothing on the table or off the table.”

Front Office Sports