The WNBA and Women's National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) released a joint statement regarding a preliminary Collective Bargaining Agreement meeting on Wednesday, according to a tweet from the Chicago Sun-Times Chicago Sky reporter Annie Costabile.
"Today's meeting included preliminary conversations and constructive dialogue, with a mutual agreement to continue discussions for a transformational, new CBA," the statement read.
Sky center Elizabeth Williams, who serves as a Secretary of the WNBPA, was among many of the Player's Association's meeting participants. She has worked as a Secretary for the Player's Association since 2018, when she joined a former MVP and Sky star in forward Elena Delle Donne on the PA's Executive Committee. Williams joined Seattle Storm forward Nneka Ogwumike and former Sky center and championship winner Stefanie Dolson, along with a handful of WNBA award winners on Wednesday.
The WNBPA had opted out of its current Collective Bargaining Agreement in October, meaning the league's current CBA will end after the 2025 season after initially being slated to run through the 2027 season. The Player's Association previously opted out of the league's CBA in 2018. The 2020 CBA included key cash compensation, quality of travel, free agency, motherhood and family planning and career development elements, a 2020 release read.
The WNBA announced a historic media deal with NBC Universal, Disney and Amazon Prime in July that will begin in the 2026 season. The 11-year deal will net the league about $200 million per year. It will pave the way for the national distribution of 125 regular-season and playoff games every season, according to the July release. The Sky were featured on nationally-televised games on ABC, ION, CBS Sports Network, Prime Video and NBA TV last season. Chicago defeated the New York Liberty in a 90-81 victory at the Barclays Center on Prime Video behind 21 points and seven assists from now-Connecticut Sun guard Marina Mabrey. Chicago's 2025 schedule will see a tough final stretch and a few key matchups against the Liberty, including one during their five-game Commissioner's Cup run in June.
The WNBA's average viewership has skyrocketed in recent years, including a record-breaking 2023 season that saw a 21% increase in viewership from the previous year across national platforms, according to an NBA release. The 2024 season saw those figures climb to viewership numbers it hadn't seen in over two decades, including its highest attendance numbers in over 22 years, the WNBA wrote in a September release. A July matchup between the Sky and Indiana Fever averaged 2.3 million viewers and peaked at 3.3 million, making it the most-watched WNBA game in over 20 years. Forward Angel Reese, who earned her first All-Star selection during her rookie season, starred on the national stage on Chicago's home court that day. She logged 25 points and 16 rebounds as she used her strength to create a dominant presence on the interior.