January 9, the second, extended deadline for a new WNBA CBA, is just over three weeks away.<\/p>\n
Another extension would further compress all the business\u2014an expansion draft, free agency and the college draft\u2014that the WNBA must accomplish before the 2026 season can tip off.<\/p>\n
So, is it time for the WNBPA to consider compromising?<\/p>\n
The latest reporting suggests that WNBPA, at the very least, doesn\u2019t think so.<\/p>\n
While the most recent known proposal<\/a> from the WNBA would allocate 15 percent of league and team revenues for sharing with the players, with that percentage decreasing over time, the WNBPA\u2019s most recent proposal is seeking a 30 percent share of league and team revenues, according to The Athletic<\/a>.<\/p>\n Furthermore, the two sides have \u201cdistinctly different approaches to calculating player compensation,\u201d per The Athletic<\/a>, which explains:<\/p>\n In the union\u2019s proposal, the salary cap would be determined by taking the players\u2019 share of the previous season\u2019s total revenue, subtracting the cost of various player benefits, and dividing that number by the number of teams, sources said. Some of those benefits include medical insurance costs, local transportation costs and housing.<\/p>\n The players also are looking to secure \u201cmandatory league and team audits to ensure accurate accounting and transparency.\u201d<\/p>\n Based on The Athletic\u2019s sourcing<\/a>, the first year of the new CBA would provision 29 percent of the gross revenue from the previous season to the players, a total that includes a \u201cone-time adjustment\u201d that accounts for the new media rights deal\u2014an 11-year, $2.2 billion deal\u2014that begins next season. After that, players\u2019 share of total league and team revenues would increase by one percent each year, rising to 34 percent of the previous season\u2019s gross revenue in the final year of the agreement.<\/p>\n The Athletic further reports<\/a> that this latest proposal was a revised version of a prior proposal \u201cin which players would have received 33 percent of total revenue for each year of the agreement.\u201d<\/p>\n So maybe, the WNBPA\u2019s most recent \u201cgradual one percent year-over-year ramp-up\u201d proposal can be considered a compromise? Or at least an attempt to reach a middle ground?<\/p>\n Caitlin Clark calls for CBA compromise<\/p>\n Speaking about CBA negotiations at the USA Basketball Women\u2019s National Team training camp<\/a> held at Duke University over the weekend, Caitlin Clark first injected the idea of \u201ccompromise\u201d into the CBA discourse.<\/p>\n Clark, who shared that she relies on Indiana Fever union representatives Aliyah Boston and Lexie Hull, as well as the Fever\u2019s Brianna Turner, the WNBPA treasurer, to remain up-to-date on CBA negotiations, asserted<\/a>:<\/p>\n It\u2019s important that we find a way to play this next season. Our fans and even everybody that has played in this league that has come before us deserve that as well.<\/p>\n Obviously, I can\u2019t speak to every number; it\u2019s pretty complicated, but I think there are different things that we can find ways to say, \u201cNo, we certainly deserve that, and we\u2019re not going to compromise on that.\u201d And then other things that we can probably compromise on.<\/p>\n This is the biggest moment the WNBA has ever seen, and it\u2019s not something that can be messed up, and we\u2019re going to fight for everything that we deserve. At the same time, we need to play basketball. That\u2019s what our fans crave, and that\u2019s what all of you crave as well, is you want the product on the floor. At the end of the day, that\u2019s how you make the money.<\/p>\n WNBA stars remain uncompromising about CBA negotiations<\/p>\n The tone Clark struck departed from that of WNBPA representatives and other players, as a tinge of animosity, exhaustion and exasperation best describes most players\u2019 public characterizations of their dealings with the league.<\/p>\n WNBPA vice president Napheesa Collier, famously, dropped the hammer and declared that the WNBA has \u201cthe worst leadership in the world.\u201d<\/a> Union president Nneka Ogwumike has expressed that players \u201cdon\u2019t feel valued\u201d<\/a> by the league, suggesting there has not been \u201cany cultivation of a culture of trust\u201d on the part of league leadership. Kelsey Plum, the WNBPA\u2019s first vice president, has emphasized the \u201clevel of frustration\u201d<\/a> felt by players due the league\u2019s resistance to negotiating a fair revenue sharing structure.<\/p>\n Speaking at Team USA\u2019s media availability, Plum reiterated this sentiment<\/a>, saying the lack of progress has been \u201ca little bit disheartening\u201d while again underscoring the \u201cfrustration\u201d players feel because of \u201chow far away we are.\u201d<\/p>\n The other planks of the WNBPA\u2019s proposal suggest that, while possibly willing to compromise to an extent, players, as Paige Bueckers put it<\/a>, remain \u201cpretty firm on what we believe and what we stand for.\u201d Here\u2019s how the players want to see some key questions answered:<\/p>\n How many games will be scheduled under the next WNBA CBA?<\/p>\n As previously reported<\/a>, players understand that a growing league with an increasing number of teams and higher player salaries will come with more games. Players, however, are not willing to be exploited and exhausted.<\/p>\n The WNBPA has proposed a 48-game season until the league expands to 18 teams; at that point, the season would feature 50 games per team. The league is arguing for a more rapid increase in the number of games, seeking more than 48 games as soon as the 2027 season, along with their continued, confusing desire<\/a> for a potential mid-March start date for training camps.<\/p>\n What various roster and contract rules will be implemented or changed in the next WNBA CBA?<\/p>\n Players are also aiming to guarantee larger rosters, with their proposal requiring teams to carry a full, 12-player roster throughout the season; currently, teams can choose to roster only 11 players.<\/p>\n Additionally, The Athletic reports<\/a> that the union is proposing up to two developmental player roster spots per team. These developmental players could participate in up 10 games, receiving a prorated minimum salary for those games. Otherwise, developmental players would be paid a stipend. After being on the active roster for 10 games, these players would need to sign a rest-of-season contract to be eligible to play in additional games. The union also seeks to secure full benefits for developmental players.<\/p>\n Along with establishing fairly-compensated opportunities for developmental players, the players union is seeking to create means for players on rookie-scale contracts to earn increased compensation for high performance. The WNBPA additionally remains committed to eliminating the core designation, a mechanism of the current CBA that works to undercut the \u201cfree\u201d agency of unrestricted free agents.<\/p>\n What other benefits will be included in the next WNBA CBA?<\/p>\n As has been reported<\/a>, the WNBA and WNBPA have exchanged ideas about parental leave for non-birthing parents, mental health care and retirement benefits.<\/p>\n The players, unsurprisingly, are seeking more generous options than those offered by the league. For example, while the league sees one week of paid leave as sufficient for non-birthing parents, players are pushing for four weeks, per The Athletic<\/a>.<\/p>\n The players also believe they should be allotted up to a $500-per-month reimbursement for out-of-network mental health services; the league has resisted reimbursing mental health care from non-league-approved providers. For retired players who played at least four seasons in the WNBA and lack health insurance, the WNBPA is asking the league to reimburse up to $1,500 for annual physical exams. The league has countered by proposing several health-screening programs for retired players that would be held in concert with key league events.<\/p>\n Players are further requesting adequate, mandatory staffing for all teams beyond basketball personnel. That includes the required employment of two full-time security officers, in addition to a designated number of physical therapists, athletic trainers and team physicians.<\/p>\n The WNBPA also has thus far resisted the league\u2019s desire to immediately require players to wear performance-tracking technology during games. Players are seeking a more gradual implementation, with players having the choice to wear such devices in 2026 and 2027 before they are mandated in 2028.<\/p>\n WNBA players are united in their fight for a fair CBA<\/p>\n Despite Clark not expressing the defiance that has characterized the public declarations of other WNBA stars, players remain united in their fight. Plum stated<\/a>, \u201cWhat I\u2019m proud of is that we play with a group of women and that are united, and we\u2019re standing on something.\u201d<\/p>\n Bueckers, speaking at Unrivaled media day, shared a similar perspective, saying<\/a>:<\/p>\n Unity is the best way to display strength, so for us to be together, all be on the same page, ask questions, get to understand what we are standing for…. for a lot of very strong women to be in one area and display that unity, it\u2019s really important. We want to take full advantage.<\/p>\n Angel Reese, when she spoke during Team USA media availability, likewise emphasized the players\u2019 alignment, noting<\/a>:<\/p>\n I think the players and WNBPA have done a great job making sure we\u2019re all together. We\u2019re riding together on everything. I\u2019m preparing for a season like everybody else is, but we have to come to a negotiation. It\u2019s really important for us to come to a common ground that we can all agree on, it\u2019s all fair and everybody benefits from it.<\/p>\n Plum and Reese also both underscored the players\u2019 long-term mindset, indicating that they are not simply fighting for an immediate win for players but also for a sustainable league structure that benefits future WNBA players. As Plum said<\/a>:<\/p>\n It\u2019s really important to show that it\u2019s not just about us, but it\u2019s about the future, and it\u2019s really about women in general and just really fighting for what needs to be done. Stand on that, stay strong, and chip away and hopefully get to something that we can be really proud of.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"January 9, the second, extended deadline for a new WNBA CBA, is just over three weeks away. 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