Overview
- With the CBA expired on Jan. 9, the league and union are in a legal status‑quo period that preserves prior terms while talks continue.
- The agreed moratorium halts qualifying offers, core designations, signings, and negotiations until a new deal is ratified.
- Teams had been told to prepare offers under the expired CBA, but players signaled they would not sign; union VP Breanna Stewart described a shared stance to wait.
- The league’s proposal raises pay sharply and ties player share to 50–70% of net revenue, while the WNBPA seeks a fixed percentage of gross revenue and a higher team cap.
- The pause compresses an already crowded offseason that includes expansion drafts for Toronto and Portland plus a free‑agent market featuring nearly all veteran players, and either side could still initiate a work stoppage.