What to know about today's WNBA CBA deadline

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Today’s WNBA CBA deadline: Here’s what to know

The CBA deadline has arrived, as both the league and WNBPA remain divided and unsettled negotiations threaten to delay the 2026 WNBA season.

• The league reportedly issued its most recent proposal on Friday, with little clarity around issues like revenue sharing and housing stipends.

• “We want the deal to be done. We want to have the season,” WNBPA VP Breanna Stewart said over the weekend. “We just need to find the right numbers that reflect it.” (Read full report)

Big picture: The union could call for a work stoppage should the parties not reach a deal by tonight, after the WNBPA voted to authorize a strike last December.

• The league is currently operating under the previous CBA’s status quo, with a moratorium on offseason transactions preventing player movement.

• With expansion drafts, free agency, and the college draft left in the lurch, any delay is guaranteed to impact the upcoming season even without an official work stoppage — though its unclear whether or not the WNBA is prepared to push its planned May 8th tipoff.

Deal or no deal: “Negotiation is not easy… When I negotiate deals, you go back and forth until you come to a common ground,” Chicago Sky star Angel Reese said. “We do all want to play basketball, but at the same time, we do want to be compensated for what we deserve.”

West Virginia’s Big 12 upset rattles AP Top 25 Poll

Conference tournaments rocked this week’s AP Poll, as underdogs making a final push for NCAA seeding spar with Top 25 titans ahead of Selection Sunday.

• No. 2 UCLA is closing in on newly crowned Big East champion UConn’s grip on the top spot, with the Bruins earning three first-place votes after blanking No. 7 Iowa to win the Big Ten tournament.

• ACC champion Duke made the biggest gains, raising five spots to No. 8, while No. 4 South Carolina, No. 6 Vanderbilt, and No. 10 Oklahoma all saw slight post-SEC tournament skids. (See full rankings)

Big 12 trouble: No. 12 West Virginia shot up three spots after upsetting No. 14 TCU to steal the Big 12 crown, making a case for first-round home-court advantage as one of the NCAA tournament’s Top 16 seeds.

• “We knew the things that were on the line,” said Big 12 tournament Most Outstanding Player Jordan Harrison. “That’s something that we talked about — we wanted to try to get those two games in Morgantown.” (Watch full highlights)

Takeaway: Despite the conference blowouts, Monday’s reshuffling proved that March is bound to bring its madness — with no team a sure bet.

Naomi Osaka sets top-ranked test at Indian Wells

Indian Wells is shifting into high gear, as tennis’s biggest names look to boost their WTA rankings ahead of May’s 2026 French Open.

• World No. 16 Naomi Osaka has excelled at the BNP Paribas Open, battling her way to this afternoon’s Round of 16 match against No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka — the pair’s second competitive meeting after Osaka ousted Sabalenka en route to her 2018 US Open title.

• “She’s a great player,” Sabalenka said of the Japanese fan favorite. “Came back after pregnancy. Incredible shape. I have been watching her matches, really admire her.” (See full rankings)

Setting the field: The tournament lost some star power this week, as No. 4 Coco Gauff withdrew from yesterday’s matchup with rising star Alexandra Eala citing a forearm injury — her second-career mid-match exit.

• “Based off the feeling, being told that it’s probably something nerve-related,” Gauff said afterwards. “Never had anything like this before, never felt anything, a sensation like this before.”

• No. 2 Iga Świątek and No. 3 Elena Rybakina are still kicking, while reigning champion No. 8 Mira Andreeva fell to unseeded Kateřina Siniaková in an emotional Round of 32 clash. (Watch full highlights)

Tune in: Osaka takes on Sabalanka today at 2 PM ET, live on The Tennis Channel.

Olympians headline USA Basketball’s 3×3 roster

USA Basketball is stocking up, entering this weekend’s FIBA 3×3 Champions Cup armed with an experienced roster showcasing extensive small-sided bonafides.

• Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Allisha Gray leads the squad, alongside WNBA and Unrivaled standouts Shakira Austin, Veronica Burton, and Naz Hillmon.

• The same lineup won the 2025 3×3 AmeriCup, arriving with additional 5×5 experience at both the youth and senior team level. (See full roster)

How it works: This year’s FIBA Champions Cup runs March 13th to 15th in Bangkok, with the Netherlands, Spain, Canada, Australia, Azerbaijan, Madagascar, and Thailand joining the US on the 3×3 court.

• The winners qualify for the 2027 FIBA 3×3 World Cup, 2027 FIBA 3×3 Champions Cup, and the 2028 Olympic Qualification Tournament. (See full schedule)

Tune in: Team USA opens Champions Cup play against Madagascar on Friday at 10:20 AM ET, streaming live on YouTube.

Australia grants Iranian WNT players asylum

The Iranian women’s team made headlines this week, after Australia granted asylum to five national team members following their 2026 AFC Asian Cup exit.

• The team declined to sing the Iranian national anthem before its opening match, prompting widespread fears for the athletes’ safety after Iran’s state-run media labeled them “traitors.”

• “We’re willing to provide assistance to other women in the team, noting that this is a very delicate situation, and it is up to them, but we say to them, if you want our help, help is here, and we will provide that,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters.

Big picture: Iran exited the Asian Cup after three group-stage losses, as the US and Israel’s growing conflict coincided with the team’s trip overseas.

• “I don’t want to begin to imagine how difficult that decision is for each of the individual women, but certainly last night it was joy, it was relief,” said Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke, going on to post photos with the players to social media. “People were very excited about embarking on a life in Australia.” (Read full report)

Quote of the day

Iowa State star Audi Crooks
speaking to ESPN about facing public criticism as DI basketball’s second-leading scorer.