What happens if the deadline passes and the WNBA doesn’t have a new CBA?

The extended deadline for the WNBA and WNBPA to agree to a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) expires at midnight on Sunday, Nov. 30.

According to The Athletic, “significant gaps remain” between the two sides, with “the league’s salary system going forward,” persisting as the primary point of contention.

The WNBA has broadcasted a significant salary increase for players, headlined by the possibility of an annual salary of $1.1 million. The WNBPA has been unpersuaded by the shiny, and “misleading,” numbers, intent upon securing a salary cap that is tied to league revenue.

Per The Athletic, the parties have continued to participate in bargaining sessions, with the latest one occurring on Saturday, Nov. 29. The Athletic further reports that:

A resolution about continued negotiations is expected by Sunday’s deadline—after one more meeting between the parties. If the sides elect not to reach another extension, a work stoppage would still not take effect immediately. The sides would instead enter a period of status quo, which would keep working conditions the same and continue to allow players to use team facilities and receive medical benefits. However, at any point, the players union or league could announce a work stoppage. The sides can also continue negotiating in the status quo period.

So, unless the sides announce another extension, do not expect any substantive CBA news on Sunday. The league is unlikely to lockout the players, while the players are as equally unlikely to initiate a strike.

However, be prepared to watch for what both the WNBA and WNBPA say over the next few days.

Will the league indicate that they put forth another, updated proposal that the players still rejected, thus trying to cast the players as unreasonable? Will the players counter by continuing to emphasize the league’s opposition to revenue sharing, showing that the league is unwilling to give the players their fair share of the league’s financial growth?

In short, how will the post-deadline PR posturing play out? And how will what’s said, and what’s unsaid, provide a hint about whether and how negotiations will proceed?