WNBA and players union extend CBA deadline to Jan. 9

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NEW YORK (AP) — The WNBA and players union agreed to an extension of the current collective bargaining agreement to Jan. 9 just before their current deadline ran out Sunday night.

Just like the previous extension, both sides have the option to terminate the extension with 48 hours advanced notice.

Under the league’s latest proposal, in 2026, the max salary would be a guaranteed $1 million base, with projected revenue sharing pushing total earnings for max players to more than $1.2 million, according to a person familiar with the negotiations. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to the AP because of the sensitivity of the negotiations.

The average player salary is projected to exceed $500,000 the person said with the minimum projected to exceed $225,000 in the first year. The salary cap would increase to $5 million in 2026 and be tied directly to revenue growth in each year of the CBA.

The two sides had announced a 30-day extension to the original Oct. 31 deadline. That extension was set to expire Sunday night just before midnight. They met over the holiday weekend hoping to come an agreement.

The union proposed the six-week extension after the league had proposed a shorter one.

“We expect substantive movement from the league within this window,” the union said in a statement.

With nothing urgent on the immediate horizon except for the expansion draft for Portland and Toronto, it would be unlikely that either side would exercise the option to terminate the extension.

Last season’s expansion draft for Golden State was held in December.

Free agency would be the next big thing for both sides to deal. That usually is done in late January. This is an unprecedented offseason with all but two of the league’s veterans free agents. Players signed one-year deals last season knowing there would be huge salary bumps when a new CBA is agreed upon.

The two sides have been sending updated proposals back and forth and met frequently, including Sunday. Salaries and revenue sharing are the two biggest sticking points between the sides. Earlier this month, the league put forth a proposal that would include revenue sharing and have a maximum salary of $1.1 million available to more than one player per team growing each year.

Other things the players are pushing for include expanding retirement benefits, codifying the league's charter flight travel and having a minimum standard for team facilities.

When the previous CBA deal expired in 2019, both sides agreed upon a 60-day extension and a new one was eventually ratified in January 2020.

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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball