The WNBA and WNBPA remain in a negotiations deadlock, with New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart telling reporters that the two parties will not reach a CBA resolution before Friday night's extended deadline expires.
"We are not coming to an agreement by tomorrow, I can tell you that," Stewart said Thursday from Unrivaled 3×3's Miami campus. "We're just going to continue to negotiate in good faith."
The WNBA will now enter into a status quo period under the old CBA, in which negotiations will continue beyond the formal deadline.
Last month, the WNBPA voted to give union leadership permission to strike should that become necessary, but players view a total work stoppage as a last resort.
"[A strike is] not something that we're going to do right this second, but we have that in our back pocket," Stewart clarified.
The league and its players remain far apart on revenue sharing, among other issues, as the union pushes for more equitable gross distribution while the WNBA looks to offset expenses with a net sharing mechanism.
Though things are still up in the air, the union does seem to be taking precautions, announcing the launch of WNBPA Player Hubs on Thursday — resources for players "when team facilities are off-limits."
Described as "training facilities offering WNBA players continued access to courts, weight rooms, and recovery spaces throughout the offseason," the global network of university gyms and other performance centers will help athletes stay fit "regardless of league operation."
