Breanna Stewart reveals what WNBA, players' union 'really can’t agree on' in midst of crucial CBA negotiations

The 2026 WNBA play could beryllium a historical one, but it won’t extremity disconnected connected time, oregon astatine all, if a caller corporate bargaining statement isn’t agreed upon betwixt the league and players. 

The WNBA established a March 10 deadline to hold to a caller pact during its astir caller gathering with the Women’s National Basketball Players’ Association (WNBPA), arsenic to not disrupt the opening of the 2026 season, which begins connected May 8. But there’s been nonaccomplishment to scope a model for a woody that some sides hold on, which has been the lawsuit for rather immoderate time. 

Breanna Stewart, the WNBA superstar who plays for the New York Liberty and serves arsenic a vice president of the WNBPA, knows some sides privation the play to happen. But she’s not definite a woody volition beryllium done by the projected deadline. 

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New York Liberty guardant Breanna Stewart (30) warms up anterior to crippled 2 of circular 1 for the 2025 WNBA Playoffs astatine Barclays Center connected Sept. 17, 2025. (Wendell Cruz/Imagn Images)

"I don’t know," Stewart told Fox News Digital aft a long, thoughtful pause. "I don’t cognize if a woody gets done by March 10. Part of maine wants to accidental yes, but portion of maine is like, ‘Negotiations person been truly dilatory going backmost and forth.’ There needs to beryllium immoderate superior question wrong the adjacent week. Literally, I don’t know."

The latest determination was the WNBA sending a counterproposal to the players’ national wherever bully things, similar paying for lodging for each players for the upcoming season, are successful play. 

However, Stewart revealed the biggest roadblock successful negotiations, and it shouldn’t travel arsenic a astonishment considering the hostility betwixt the league and players this past season. 

"The 1 happening is what we truly can’t hold on, and that’s the revenue-sharing model," Stewart said. 

Revenue sharing and accrued subordinate salaries are the 2 biggest areas surrounding these negotiations. While Stewart didn’t spell into circumstantial dollar amounts, she did accidental wherefore some sides don’t spot oculus to oculus close present astir however gross sharing is being negotiated. 

"The PA is asking for gross and the league, the WNBA, is asking to woody successful an SBI, which is simply a shared hoops income, wherever you negociate however overmuch wealth goes into that cookware and that’s shared to players," she explained. "That’s the sticking point, that’s the portion wherever immoderate clip we get to those conversations, we ne'er are connected the aforesaid side."

New York Liberty guardant Breanna Stewart (30) drives to the handbasket against Chicago Sky guardant Michaela Onyenwere (12) during the archetypal fractional astatine Wintrust Arena connected Sept. 11, 2025. (Kamil Krzaczynski/Imagn Images)

In its connection to the league past week, the players’ national offered an mean 27.5% of the WNBA’s gross revenue, which is gross earlier expenses, implicit the people of the CBA. The national had antecedently asked for much than 30% of revenue. But the league said that exemplary would origin "hundreds of millions of dollars of losses for our teams."

To Stewart’s point, the WNBA’s connection would springiness players much than 70% of nett gross – the profits aft expenses being key. And those expenses would beryllium upgraded facilities, charter flights, five-star hotels and much for the teams. 

It’s been wide since past twelvemonth that the players privation what they consciousness they deserve, adjacent going arsenic acold arsenic to deterioration "Pay Us What You Owe Us" shirts during warm-ups astatine the WNBA All-Star Game. Indiana Fever prima Caitlin Clark was among those, and she said successful December that these existent CBA negotiations is the "biggest infinitesimal successful the history" of the league. Many players consciousness the same. 

So, portion players similar Stewart are lasting their ground, the Liberty prima besides knows the timepiece is getting overmuch person to midnight now.

It besides feels imperative for women’s hoops to get things done for the involvement of the game’s momentum successful presumption of exposure, engagement and all-around viewership. The 2025 WNBA play was record-breaking with 2.5 cardinal fans full attending implicit 226 games, and that was lone with 13 teams. 

ESPN besides revealed that, crossed 25 regular play games, the WNBA connected the ESPN networks averaged 1.3 cardinal viewers, which is up 6% year-over-year. The postseason saw 1.2 cardinal viewers, marking the most-watched WNBA postseason connected the ESPN networks to date. 

And there’s besides the 11-year, $2.2 cardinal media rights woody the WNBA secured with Disney (ESPN/ABC), Prime Video and NBCUniversal, which includes USA Network. 

Breanna Stewart of the New York Liberty dribbles the shot up the tribunal during the 2nd fractional of the crippled against the Chicago Sky astatine Wintrust Arena connected Sept. 11, 2025 successful Chicago, Illinois. (Michael Hirschuber/Getty Images)

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"The 2026 play volition beryllium a historical 1 if we’re capable to person it," Stewart added. "I deliberation that from a fig of antithetic things — having a record-breaking TV woody yet coming into place. Having 2 much teams with Portland and Toronto being added to the WNBA. It volition beryllium absorbing to spot if escaped bureau happens fast, however overmuch question that determination volition be. You’re going to spot players getting a batch much wealth than they ever person successful the WNBA before. 

"It’s getting to the constituent present wherever some sides truly request to beryllium capable to kinda set and accommodate for each other."

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