This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UCF chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.
On Friday, Oct. 10, the Las Vegas Aces became the 2025 WNBA Champions. Their victory over the Phoenix Mercury was swift, and only took them the minimum four games out of the seven-game series. With the finals over, the WNBA enters its off-season; however, don’t expect to stop hearing about the league. According to The Sporting News, the Aces are set to celebrate their win on Oct. 17 with a parade through the city of Las Vegas, Commissioner’s Trophy in hand. The parade not only celebrates the Aces’ domination, but also the franchise’s third championship in four years.
The Ace’s championship is not the only thing in league news, however. As of this month, the WNBA’s current collective bargaining agreement, or CBA, is set to expire. The Sporting News defines the CBA as a “written contract negotiated through collective bargaining for players by the players’ union with the league itself.” The agreement details many pivotal items, including player contracts, player eligibility, off-season play, and more.
The CBA has been the subject of many news stories and cultural moments this season, particularly All-Star Weekend. During warm-ups for the game on July 19, players wore shirts with the phrase “Pay Us What You Owe Us”. According to Becca Wood with USA Today, the players chose to wear the shirts after a meeting on July 17 between the players’ union and the WNBA.
@thewbpa via Instagram
The WNBPA, or the Women’s National Basketball Players Association, negotiates the new CBA deal with league leadership, and according to their website, aims to create the best deal for all players. So what exactly do the players want from this new collective bargaining agreement? For starters, an increase in their salaries, but ESPN reports that their biggest issue is revenue sharing, specifically how the league’s revenue sharing is determined and how the league’s revenue sharing percentage can grow during the CBA.
With the players asking for more money, there’s uncertainty about whether the league even has the funds to support this request. While we cannot be behind the closed doors of the CBA negotiation meetings, major developments are being made for the sports franchise. AP News reports that the WNBA is about to enter into an eleven-year media rights deal with Disney, Amazon Prime, and NBC. The WNBA would receive around $200 million per year from the deal, which begins in the 2026 season and concludes in 2036. This deal is more substantial than the league’s current media rights deal, which rakes in around $60 million for the WNBA.
With more money about to come into the league, one might think that the WNBA and the WNBPA are close to finishing negotiations on a new CBA, especially as the deadline approaches. However, there is currently tension between players and league leadership. This could impact the CBA negotiations, and if no agreement is reached by the deadline, it could turn into a league lockout.
The players are outspoken about their desire for more pay, and it appears the league might be reluctant to give them what they are asking for. In my opinion, the WNBA needs to open up to raising players’ salaries and listening to their requests for a new collective bargaining agreement. The players do provide the league with the entertainment that enthralls fans, and as the league continues to grow, the players should be properly compensated for the value that they bring to the WNBA.