WNBA and players will not extend CBA deadline as talks continue

Breanna Stewart said no further extension is expected before the Jan. 9 CBA deadline, and both sides plan to keep negotiating in good faith while the league would operate under status quo if the CBA expires.

Breanna Stewart, a vice president of the players' association, said on Thursday that neither side expects to extend the collective bargaining agreement deadline set for Jan. 9. The WNBA and the WNBPA have been negotiating for more than 14 months since players opted out of the current CBA. Players at the Unrivaled league expressed frustration at the pace of talks but indicated they were not surprised. Both sides plan to continue negotiating in good faith while discussions proceed. Known details: - Stewart indicated she does not expect an agreement or a new extension before the Jan. 9 deadline. - Sources confirmed neither the WNBA nor the players' union have offered an extension; the current CBA is set to expire at 11:59 p.m. Friday. - If no agreement is reached, the league would operate under a status quo period while negotiations continue. - In mid-December the WNBPA authorized its executive committee to call a strike "when necessary," with the union reporting 93% participation in the vote and 98% voting yes. - The union has launched Player Hubs and reported it was still awaiting a response from the league to a proposal submitted roughly two weeks earlier. Summary: If no new agreement or extension is reached, the CBA will expire at the deadline and the parties will continue bargaining while the league maintains status quo. The earlier strike authorization remains in place, though union leaders say it is not an immediate action. Undetermined at this time.