WNBA 'work stoppage', explained: Why women's basketball league is 'bracing' for hold out ahead of 2026 season

As WNBA All-Star Weekend got underway in Indianapolis, events on the hardwood took a backseat to crucial conversations in the boardroom.

Ahead of All-Star festivities, the WNBA and its Players' Association (WNBPA) met to continue negotiating a new Collective Bargaining Agreement after opting out of the current CBA in October. 

With the October deadline fast approaching, the sides remain far apart as they enter an important juncture in negotiations. Should no resolution be met, WNBA players are "bracing" for a work stoppage, according to a report from the New York Post's Madeline Kenney.

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In the aftermath of that report, WNBPA president and Storm All-Star Nneka Ogwumike clarified by saying, "I guess that's what they said. That's not what we're saying. We want to get a good deal done, so this meeting we're going to have [Thursday] comes with high player participation. … I think the league and the players know what's at stake."

A stoppage in work would mean the 2026 season could be put on hold with a lockout looming. Here is why the league's players are prepared for the worst as negotiations continue.

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WNBA 'work stoppage', explained

The potential work stoppage stems from the WNBPA announcing its intention to opt out of the current CBA at the end of the 2025 season. The deadline for the WNBPA and WNBA to come to terms on a new CBA is Oct. 31, 2025.

If no agreement is reached, the 2026 season is in danger of starting late or not starting at all.

The league and its players' association had preliminary conversations to negotiate a new agreement in December, per CBS Sports, but no significant updates have come in the time since.

In the lead-up to the All-Star break (July 17-19), a few WNBA players discussed the upcoming meetings and where things stood. Under the condition of anonymity, a few knowledgeable sources mentioned the potential of a work stoppage to the New York Post.

Conversations around a potential lockout are not new, as Lynx superstar Napheesa Collier mentioned the possibility during a podcast appearance in March.  Collier acknowledged that "no one wants" a lockout, but added that the players are "prepared for any possibility right now."

At that time, Ogwumike said, "We are ready to lead transformational change — change that goes beyond women's sports and sets a precedent for something greater."

Ogwumike added that "Opting out isn't just about bigger paychecks — it's about claiming our rightful share of the business we've built, improving working conditions, and securing a future where the success we create benefits today's players and the generations to come. We're not just asking for a CBA that reflects our value; we're demanding it, because we've earned it."

Ahead of the July meetings in Indianapolis, Liberty guard Natasha Cloud planned to be one of 20-plus players on hand. Of negotiations, Cloud said, "This is a huge CBA for us. We know our worth. We know our value. And this is us going and fighting for it," per Kenney.

Before heading to Indianapolis, an "encouraged" Ogwumike said she looked forward to beginning All-Star weekend with those meetings, citing past CBA negotiations that accelerated through face-to-face meetings.

The meeting took place on Thursday, July 17, involving more than 40 players. The WNBPA issued a statement upon the meeting's conclusion asserting that the league's response to the union's concerns "fails to address the priorities" players have centered in recent years, namely building a "transformational CBA" that improves work conditions.

"This business is booming," the WNBPA declared in a statement. "Media rights, ratings, revenue, team valuations, expansion fees, attendance, ticket sales are all up in historic fashion. But short-changing the working women who make the business possible stalls growth. The only thing more unsustainable than the current system is pretending it can go on forever.

"It's not complicated." 

Ahead of the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game, all players on both teams removed their warm-ups to reveal shirts that read "Pay Us What You Owe Us," with the WNBAPA's logo.

Players are wearing t-shirts that read "Pay Us What You Owe Us" during WNBA All-Star warmups pic.twitter.com/7xIB68s4Ku

— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) July 20, 2025

As it stands, the current agreement is believed to be more owner-friendly in terms of revenue sharing, and, as acknowledged by Ogwumike, players are looking for a greater share of the overall business and better working conditions.

What is a work stoppage?

A work stoppage in professional sports is when the league's procedures come to a halt due to a lack of an agreement between the league and its players' union. This is also referred to as a lockout.

In the event of a lockout, games will not be scheduled as the league would effectively have no players,

The most recent notable example in professional basketball was the NBA lockout in 2011, which caused the beginning of the 2011-12 season to be delayed by two months and truncated to 66 games. The league and its players' association reached an agreement in November, and games began on Christmas Day.

What is a CBA in the WNBA?

A CBA is a collective bargaining agreement.

By definition, the WNBA's CBA is a written contract negotiated through collective bargaining for players by the players' union with the league itself. The agreement regulates the terms and conditions of player contracts, among many other procedural rules.

The CBA that is set to expire in 2025 is 350 pages long and contains 41 articles spanning from contract specifics, health benefits, revenue sharing, player eligibility, player conduct and discipline, and rules around offseason play, among many other topics.