WNBA union boss: Talks 'in the right direction' after 12-hour day - ESPN

NEW YORK — After a marathon, 12-hour bargaining session running Tuesday evening into Wednesday morning, the WNBA and its players' union did not reach a deal on a new collective bargaining agreement.

The talks took place on the target date the league had given the union and its teams last month for a term sheet to be completed by to avoid the 2026 schedule being impacted.

Women's National Basketball Players Association executive director Terri Jackson told reporters the bargaining session featured «a lot of conversation going in the right direction,» while WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert added «we're working hard… and still have work to do.»

The meeting, which started at 5 p.m. ET Tuesday, was in-person only and took place at a midtown Manhattan hotel, considered a neutral site for both parties. In addition to league and WNBPA staff, four of the seven WNBPA executive committee members were in attendance: president Nneka Ogwumike, vice presidents Breanna Stewart and Alysha Clark, and treasurer Brianna Turner.

The league was represented by Engelbert, head of league operations Bethany Donaphin and New York Liberty owner Clara Wu Tsai, among others.

Players left the meeting just before 3 a.m. as negotiations continued between league and union staff members. The players declined to comment on the talks. The union and league wrapped up discussions about two hours later.

Engelbert briefly spoke with reporters but did not take questions, saying both sides are working hard on securing a win-win deal.

She called the talks «complex» and «complicated» and the pursuit of a transformational deal «really important to the future not just of the league, but of women's sports.»

Asked whether there were indications a deal could be reached