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The WNBA's collective bargaining agreement does not expire until Jan. 9, but the Women's National Basketball Players Association is not waiting around.
On Thursday afternoon, the WNBPA announced that its executive committee -- which includes superstars Napheesa Collier, Nneka Ogwumike and Breanna Stewart -- had been authorized to call a strike "when necessary," as talks over a new CBA drag on.
ESPN's Alexa Philippou reported that 93 percent of the players participated in the vote that authorized the strike action. Ninety-eight percent voted "yes."
BREAKING: The WNBPA executive committee has been authorized to call a strike “when necessary” pic.twitter.com/arXmobGGEg
— Alexa Philippou (@alexaphilippou) December 18, 2025The WNBA and the WNBPA have twice agreed to extend the 2020 CBA in hopes that they can strike a transformative agreement that raises player salaries significantly amidst an economic boom in the league.
However, the league and the union continue to disagree on the revenue-sharing component of a new CBA.
The players reportedly have proposed that they receive 30 percent of team- and league-generated revenue -- up from 9.3 percent in the current CBA. It is a model closely tied to one that the NBA and the NFL have used for years.
The league though has countered by offering 15 percent in its latest proposal, and that figure would decrease over the life of the multi-year CBA.
With the WNBPA authorizing a strike, a potential work stoppage in January has just become more probable, even as Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark recently called for compromise.
While a work stoppage would not happen immediately upon the expiration of the CBA, the WNBPA has chosen to move first and protect their interests -- rather than wait for WNBA team owners to lock them out if that time comes.
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