Negotiations for a new Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) collective bargaining agreement (CBA) are underway, with the current deal set to expire on October 31. A central point of contention revolves around how player salaries should be determined amidst a period of significant growth for the league.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver stated that WNBA players would receive a substantial salary increase in the new CBA. However, he emphasized that growth should be measured by "absolute numbers" rather than a "share of revenue," citing the vast difference in revenue between the NBA and WNBA. This perspective was met with swift disapproval from the WNBPA, which reposted a clip of Silver's comments with the caption, "Don't want to share?" on social media.

Players are advocating for a system similar to the NBA, where the salary cap is directly tied to basketball-related income (BRI), allowing players to share in the league's growing prosperity. They argue that the league's current proposals, which suggest a fixed annual increase of 3% to the salary cap, would effectively diminish their percentage of overall compensation over time, making them feel disconnected from the league's growth. Phoenix Mercury player Satou Sabally highlighted this concern, stating that continuing with the current CBA structure would lead to a percentage-wise decrease in player compensation.

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert has underscored the challenge of finding a balance between increasing player salaries and ensuring the long-term viability of the league. She emphasized the importance of incentivizing investment from owners and maintaining a sound economic model, especially with plans for expansion to 18 teams by the end of the decade, including new franchises in Toronto and Portland. The league has experienced record growth in recent years, marked by soaring attendance, viewership, merchandise sales, investment, franchise valuations, and an impending $2.2 billion media deal.

The current CBA was opted out of by the WNBPA a year ago. Should an agreement not be reached by the Halloween deadline, both parties could agree to an extension to continue negotiations, as they did before signing the last CBA in January 2020. A new CBA is crucial as it must be finalized before a two-team expansion draft for the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire, and prior to a free agency period where a significant number of the league's veteran players will become unrestricted free agents.