WNBA Reporter Confirms WNBA Fans’ Worst Fears With Clock Ticking on Cathy Engelbert and WNBPA’s CBA Deadline

The WNBA's current CBA deal is set to expire on Oct. 31, and despite initial optimism, Cathy Engelbert and the league appear unlikely to reach a new agreement in time. According to a WNBA reporter, fans’ worst fears about a potential stalemate are close to being realized.

Underdog WNBA on Tuesday shared a post on X (formerly Twitter), highlighting a report by The Athletic's Ben Pickman.

"WNBA, WNBPA extremely unlikely to agree to new CBA by deadline on October 31, per @benpickman," the tweet read.

The WNBA and the WNBAPA have been in negotiations since last year, after the players decided to opt out of the current CBA at the end of this season. However, despite multiple efforts from the players and it's legal counsel, the two parties are highly unlikely to reach a common ground on the talks before Friday.

The Player Association's legal representative offered an insight on the discussions during the 'No Off-Season' podcast.

"We have worked hard to be able to say on Friday, we did it. Unfortunately, that’s not going to happen," Drake said. "In a dance, it takes two to tango. And it has been difficult to find a beat, to find a rhythm and to find the same sense of urgency (from the league), just to be frank, to get this done."

Drake's comments almost confirm WNBA fans' worst nightmare, as many expressed their discontent on X (formerly Twitter).

With the negotiations at a standstill, the WNBA is likely headed for a lockout as players continue to demand a better pay structure linked to a percentage of the revenue generated by the league.

WNBA spokesperson blames the players' association for not offering a "viable economic proposal"

The WNBA and the WNBAPA have been locked in negotiations over a new CBA deal since the start of the year. Over the course of the season, the players’ union rejected multiple proposals and even staged a protest during the All-Star Game, wearing shirts demanding fair pay.

However, a WNBA spokesperson last week blamed the players' association for not offering a "viable economic proposal."

"The Players Association has yet to offer a viable economic proposal and has repeatedly refused to engage in any meaningful way on many of our proposal terms," the spokesperson's statement read. "We stand ready to continue negotiating in good faith and hope they will do the same."

With less than three days remaining for the CBA deadline, there is little hope of reaching an agreement between the two parties.

Edited by Arian Kashyap