The announcement isn't a surprise. It has been assumed that the players would opt out, which they also did in 2018 for their previous CBA. The current agreement was reached in January 2020, one of the first major accomplishments for the league under Cathy Engelbert, who took over as commissioner in 2019.
The players had until Nov. 1 to opt out, but made the announcement with the impact of the best-of-five WNBA Finals still resonating in the sports world. The current agreement lasts through Oct. 31, 2025, giving the league and the union a year to negotiate the next agreement.
In July, the WNBA announced a new 11-year media rights deal featuring partnerships with Disney, Amazon Prime Video and NBCUniversal. It is valued at about $2.2 billion, or $200 million per year, but future agreements with additional partners could bring the league's overall media deals closer to $3 billion.
