WNBA, players' union agree to extend CBA through Jan. 9

NEW YORK (AP) — The WNBA and players' union agreed to an extension of the current collective bargaining agreement to Jan. 9 just before their current deadline ran out Sunday night.

Just like the previous extension, both sides have the option to terminate the extension with 48 hours advanced notice.

The two sides had announced a 30-day extension to the original Oct. 31 deadline. That extension was set to expire Sunday night just before midnight. They met over the holiday weekend hoping to come an agreement.

With nothing urgent on the immediate horizon except for the expansion draft for Portland and Toronto, it would be unlikely that either side would terminate the extension.

Last season’s expansion draft for Golden State was held in December.

Free agency would be the next big thing for both sides to deal. That usually is done in late January. This is an unprecedented offseason with all but two of the league’s veterans free agents. Players signed one-year deals last season knowing there would be huge salary bumps when a new CBA is agreed upon.

When the previous CBA deal expired in 2019, both sides agreed upon a 60-day extension and a new one was eventually ratified in January 2020.