WNBA Players Nearly Unanimous In Vote To Authorize Strike If Necessary

WNBA players have voted — nearly unanimously — to authorize a strike if collective bargaining agreement negotiations don't get across the finish line by the Jan. 9, 2026, deadline.

The WNBPA announced Thursday that 98% of participating players voted to give the union's executive committee the authority to "call a strike when necessary," with 93% participation across the league.

"The players have spoken," the WNBPA said in a statement. "Through a decisive vote with historic participation, our membership has authorized the WNBPA’s Executive Committee to call a strike when necessary. The players’ decision is an unavoidable response to the state of negotiations with the WNBA and its teams."

(Amber Harding Snyder)

That vote, however, doesn't mean players are walking out tomorrow.

"The players’ vote is neither a call for an immediate strike nor an intention to pursue one," the statement continued. "Rather, it is an emphatic affirmation of the players’ confidence in their leadership and their unwavering solidarity against ongoing efforts to divide, conquer and undervalue them." 

New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart, a vice president on the WNBPA executive committee, made it clear that talks appear to be headed toward a stalemate.

"What we’re doing right now isn’t really working," Stewart said. "If they’re not going to budge, we’re going to get to this point where we’re just going to be at a standoff.

"If we’re not going to be valued the way that we know we should be, in the way that every kind of number situation tells us, then we’re just not going to do something that doesn’t make sense for us."

The WNBA Responds To Players' Vote

Not surprisingly, the league sees things very differently.

"While we acknowledge the players’ right to authorize a future work stoppage, we strongly disagree with the WNBPA’s characterization of the current state of negotiations, which fundamentally misrepresents the ongoing discussions taking place at the bargaining table," the WNBA said in a statement.

"It is difficult to understand claims that the league is resistant to change," the league added, citing proposed salary increases and "a new uncapped revenue-sharing model that would ensure continued salary growth tied to revenue growth."

As OutKick previously reported, the WNBA's latest proposal is offering a max salary of $1.1 million, a league minimum salary of more than $220,000 and league average salary of more than $460,000 — a massive jump from current pay scales.

But for players, this isn't just about a bigger paycheck. The WNBPA has continued to push for a significantly larger share of league revenue, and that’s reportedly where negotiations have hit a wall.

WNBA All-Stars wear "Pay Us What You Owe Us" T-shirts during warm-ups in Indianapolis.

(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

Under the current CBA extension, neither side can initiate a strike or lockout without first terminating the agreement, which either party may do with 48 hours' notice. With the Jan. 9 deadline looming, Thursday's vote turns up the pressure. It's now a very real possibility that the 2026 season could be delayed or canceled if a deal isn't reached.