Silence from the league is becoming the loudest message in the WNBA’s ongoing labor negotiations. More than a month after the players’ union submitted its latest collective bargaining proposal, the league has yet to deliver a counteroffer – a delay that prompted players to organize privately and recalibrate their strategy.
According to reporting from Front Office Sports journalist Annie Costabile, members of the WNBA Players Association held a players-only meeting in Nashville, just days after initial discussions with the league in New York City. The gathering included union leadership, executive committee members Brianna Turner and Alysha Clark, and was led by WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike.
The meeting underscored growing frustration among players as they wait for movement from the WNBA.
Revenue sharing at the center of the dispute for the WNBA
At the heart of the deadlock is a fundamental disagreement over how league revenue should be shared. The league’s most recent framework reportedly included a 70% net revenue-sharing model, which calculates player compensation after expenses are deducted.
The players, however, countered with a significantly different structure – 30% of gross revenue, meaning players would be paid directly from total income before costs are allocated.
We made the point that once we nail this, we can get everything else done.
Ogwumike also made it clear that the league’s lack of response has not gone unnoticed.
- Attendance & Growth: The 2025 season saw 2.5 million total fans in attendance, a significant rise from previous years, with 154 sellouts in 2024.
- Viewership Records: The 2025 WNBA Postseason was the most-watched since 1999, averaging 1.2 million viewers.
- Individual Impact: Caitlin Clark’s debut in 2024 drew 2.1 million viewers. Despite missing games in 2025, her team, the Indiana Fever, continued to drive high viewership (1.26 million on average).
- Expansion: The league currently has 12 teams (as of the end of the 2024 season), with the Golden State Valkyries joining as the 13th team in 2025, with plans to expand to 16 teams by 2028.
- Revenue: While specific, up-to-date total revenue numbers are not always public, the league has experienced a major surge in interest, with some reports noting a 34% increase in total attendance in 2025.
- Top Markets (2025): The highest-rated media markets were Indianapolis, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Louisville, Las Vegas, and Richmond-Petersburg.
“I think that’s really what the players are considering now – that the lack of movement from the league side is truly disappointing,” she said in a recent interview.
The WNBPA expected a counterproposal by Monday. Instead, the league communicated that it is still working to formulate a “sustainable” response, a position that has only heightened uncertainty across the league.
Pressure builds as players signal unity at the WNBA
While no formal agenda from the Nashville meeting was disclosed, the timing sends a clear message: the players are aligned, organized, and prepared to escalate if necessary. Still, union leadership has been cautious about invoking drastic measures such as a work stoppage.
“Having the strike on the table is something that we’re very much aware of, but there are so many more conversations that have to happen. We’re not just going to say, ‘Hey, today’s the day.’
She added that the union remains committed to good-faith negotiations, stressing that players ultimately want the same thing fans do – a season.
“I know our players 100% want to play this year. We want a season,” Ogwumike said.
That urgency extends beyond the players themselves. Free agents remain in limbo due to the league’s moratorium, expansion teams are waiting to conduct drafts, and the broader WNBA calendar hangs in the balance.
For now, the WNBPA appears willing to wait – but not quietly. The Nashville meeting signals that pressure is building behind the scenes, and responsibility now rests with the league to re-engage meaningfully.
With revenue, scheduling, and the league’s long-term credibility on the line, the next move from the WNBA may determine whether these talks progress – or harden into a defining labor standoff.
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