{"id":531422,"date":"2026-03-12T12:54:28","date_gmt":"2026-03-12T12:54:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/531422\/"},"modified":"2026-03-12T12:54:28","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T12:54:28","slug":"wnba-wnbpa-still-at-impasse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/531422\/","title":{"rendered":"WNBA, WNBPA still at impasse"},"content":{"rendered":"

Start your morning with Buzzcast<\/a> with Abe Madkour: WNBA CBA negotiations intensify; CEO Brian Rolapp outlines PGA Tour future; NWSL adding to executive team and the NFL to potentially add a Thanksgiving Eve game.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\"AThe WNBPA will return to negotiations on Thursday and ask the league to raise the 2026 salary cap over $6.2M, sources told SBJ. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images <\/p>\n

After a pair of 12-hour collective bargaining sessions<\/a> and eight total back-and-forth proposals to save the WNBA season, the players\u2019 union may return to negotiations Thursday and ask the league to raise the 2026 salary cap above $6.2M, sources told SBJ.<\/p>\n

The sides have spent two days taking red ink to each other\u2019s counterproposals, and the league\u2019s latest offer just past midnight Wednesday — which included a $6.2M salary cap up from $5.75M — was exorbitant enough that Commissioner Cathy Engelbert called it \u201creal historic and transformational\u201d before heading home at 2am ET.<\/p>\n

But while WNBPA President Nneka Ogwumike said prior to midnight that she was sensing \u201cmovement,\u201d sources said the union could respond Thursday with a ninth proposal that moves the cap figure slightly higher. \u201cWe want to play, we\u2019ve heard that from the other side as well –we need to see a more robust demonstration of that,\u201d Ogwumike told reporters outside N.Y.\u2019s Langham Hotel, where the two sides negotiated from 2pm Wednesday to roughly 2am Thursday.<\/p>\n

With the dispute still unresolved, the status of the league\u2019s 30th anniversary season — due to begin on May 8 — remains a conundrum. The league has sent rough estimates to its teams, with a best-case scenario of staging an expansion draft for the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo somewhere between April 1 and April 6; a free agent signing period between April 12 and April 18 and a college draft on April 13. But that was all assuming a CBA deal could be consummated by March 10<\/a>, a deadline that has come and gone.<\/p>\n

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\"GilletteThe deal will see Boston Soccer 2026 provide the advance funding for security spending and public safety deployments that Foxborough has sought. Getty Images <\/p>\n

The town of Foxborough and Kraft Sports & Entertainment Group said Wednesday that they \u201creached a deal that satisfies Foxborough\u2019s request\u201d for $7.8M in advance to cover its share of security costs<\/a> for the seven World Cup games at Gillette Stadium<\/a> in June. The town\u2019s Select Board had \u201crefused to grant the entertainment license\u201d that FIFA needs to stage the World Cup in Foxborough. The agreement said the town \u201cwill not incur any cost or financial burden\u201d related to the World Cup, with Boston Soccer 2026 \u201cproviding advance funding for security-related capital expenditures and the full extent of deployment that public safety officials have determined is needed to execute the event with Kraft Sports + Entertainment\u2019s backing.\u201d The town had set a March 17 deadline for the local organizing committee or the Kraft Group to front the funds (BOSTON GLOBE, 3\/11<\/a>).<\/p>\n

The town is \u201cscheduled to vote upon the necessary event license at a March 17 public hearing\u201d (BOSTON BUSINESS JOURNAL, 3\/11<\/a>).<\/p>\n

\"\"The renderings show how the stadium adheres to Washington D.C\u2019s Monumental Axis requirements, which prevent the city\u2019s governmental and historic monuments from being blocked by large buildings. HKS\/Commanders <\/p>\n

The Commanders and HKS shared more renderings of the team\u2019s $3.65B D.C. stadium<\/a> that\u2019s targeted for a 2030 opening. <\/p>\n

More about the Commanders’ stadium project<\/p>\n

The renderings, publicized Wednesday evening, illustrate the stadium as it would appear when approached from different directions. They also show how the stadium adheres to D.C\u2019s Monumental Axis requirements, which prevent the city\u2019s governmental and historic monuments from being blocked by large buildings, by dipping in the center.<\/p>\n

The venue and extensive mixed-use<\/a> real estate will be developed on 180 acres at the site of the recently demolished Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, where the Commanders played from the 1960s to mid-1990s. At least 30% of the RFK site will be dedicated to public recreation, outdoor plazas, and green areas along the Anacostia River. <\/p>\n

D.C. officials, the Commanders, and HKS have held roughly two dozen meetings with the local community to collect input about the stadium\u2019s design and the broader project. As the process continues, the design will continue to evolve as stakeholder and community feedback is incorporated.<\/p>\n

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\"LONDON,The NFL is \u201cbringing back its front office and coaching accelerator program,\u201d which was paused in 2025. Getty Images <\/p>\n

The NFL is \u201cbringing back its front office and coaching accelerator program,\u201d which was paused in 2025<\/a>. The program will \u201cnow include nonminority participants.\u201d The league created the program in 2022 with the \u201cintention of increasing diversity in leadership roles,\u201d but it was paused to be \u201creimagined.\u201d The new accelerator program will run during the May 18-20 league meetings. The program has \u201cshifted its focus toward more senior-level candidates who are aligned with head coach and general manager readiness.\u201d Previously, the accelerator \u201ccentered on high-potential candidates earlier in their careers\u201d (ESPN.com, 3\/11<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Teams may \u201cnominate up to two candidates, ideally one front-office member and one coach.\u201d In addition to the in-person event, a league memo \u201cpromises year-round learning opportunities, including mentorship, personalized executive coaching and specialized development sessions addressing the realities of life as a NFL head coach or general manager\u201d (USA TODAY, 3\/11<\/a>).<\/p>\n

\"Sephora\"Sephora will sponsor Natalia Granada, one of the drivers in F1 Academy this season. F1 Academy <\/p>\n

Makeup retailer Sephora is the latest beauty brand to partner with F1 Academy<\/a>, the all-female junior series that aims to have a woman driver competing in F1 again. The racing sponsorship was announced Wednesday with the France-based Sephora named as the official beauty retail partner of F1 Academy.<\/p>\n

Elements of the pact include putting glamour bars at 18 races, including at F1\u2019s foremost premium hospitality area called the Paddock Club, entitling a year-end celebration content series and sponsoring driver Natalia Granada. F1 Academy will begin its fourth season this weekend with a race in China.<\/p>\n

Sephora is not the first makeup-related company to get involved with F1 Academy. The U.K.-based makeup and skincare brand Charlotte Tilbury<\/a> became an official partner in 2024, but Charlotte Tilbury\u2019s logo no longer appears on the F1 Academy partner page. Other sponsors of the series include Gatorade, The LEGO Group, the Wella Professionals hair care brand, TAG Heuer and American Express.<\/p>\n

On this week\u2019s pod, host and SBJ media reporter Austin Karp opens up with a conversation at the ACC Men\u2019s Basketball Tournament with Commissioner Jim Phillips, who dishes on the recent meeting with President Trump at the White House, resurgent viewership for college hoops and likely expansion of the ACC\u2019s efforts with in-game replay review audio for fans. Plus, Karp gets into college basketball regular season viewership, the prospects for an NFL game on the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving, CBS\u2019 UFC debut, Apple TV\u2019s F1 debut and the \u201cSoul Power\u201d doc currently on Amazon Prime Video.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\"N\/A\"Athletes First’s Gideon Cohen, Will Petok and Kayli Cutler will handle Steve Smith Sr’s representation at the agency. Athletes First <\/p>\n

Athletes First\u2019s broadcasting and new media division<\/a> is gaining a client with former NFL receiver and NFL Network analyst Steve Smith Sr. joining the Laguna Hills-based agency.<\/p>\n

The division\u2019s EVP and 2019 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree<\/a>, Gideon Cohen, as well as division VP Will Petok and senior manager Kayli Cutler, will represent him in all areas, including broadcasting, marketing and speaking appearances. Smith\u2019s addition brings the division\u2019s client count to 30 with Cohen, Petok and Cutler representing all of them. Other clients include Scott Hanson, Matt Ryan and Ashley ShahAhmadi.<\/p>\n

Joining Athletes First comes at an opportune time for Smith, whose NFL Network contract is ending with ESPN primed to take over the operation<\/a>. Cohen said the agency is in early talks to have Smith remain in his current role under ESPN\u2019s umbrella.<\/p>\n

Smith\u2019s former broadcasting agent, Kristin Bredes LaFemina<\/a>, represented him for the past 12 years but helped initiate the handoff to Athletes First by texting Cohen that she \u201cwanted to make sure he had proper best in class representation moving into the future.\u201d Cohen had not previously met Smith, but he sees big potential, given Smith\u2019s opinionated and unfiltered style. He\u2019s also among a growing crop of athletes and former athletes who have gained digital traction with nearly 200,000 YouTube channel<\/a> subscribers.<\/p>\n

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\"NA\"The Hornets have hired the Big 12’s Tyrel Kirkham as Chief Marketing Officer. Charlotte Hornets <\/p>\n

The Hornets have hired Big 12 Conference Chief Brand & Business Officer Tyrel Kirkham as their Chief Marketing Officer and will transition longtime CMO Seth Bennett to an advisory role, the team announced Thursday.<\/p>\n

Kirkham was the Big 12\u2019s first CMO from October 2022 to July 2025 and had previous stints with the Pistons (VP, brand & marketing strategy), Rams (VP and GM, merchandise), BSE Global (VP global merchandising) and Mets (director, venue services). In New York, he was involved with the grand openings of the Citi Field and Barclays Center, and, in L.A., he helped launch SoFi Stadium.<\/p>\n

With the Hornets, he will oversee the franchise\u2019s brand strategy, marketing, retail, fan engagement and game presentation, among other projects. Bennett has spent 19 years with the team and — in his new position as senior executive advisor and external affairs — will delve into special projects, government affairs and strategic partnerships.<\/p>\n

Hornets President of Business Operations Shelly Cayette-Weston cited Bennett\u2019s \u201cmeaningful impact on our organization,\u201d while calling Kirkham \u201ca transformative marketing executive who connects brand vision to business results.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"The NWSL is on the hunt for two new C-Suite executives. Ira L. Black – Corbis\/Getty Images <\/p>\n

The NWSL is searching for a Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Commercial Officer, the league confirmed to SBJ. The searches come just under a year after the league parted ways<\/a> with its previous dual CMO & CCO, Julie Haddon, as part of a broader restructuring in May.<\/p>\n

CAA is handling the CCO search, while a search firm has not been retained for the CMO search, a spokesperson confirmed. It is unclear what stage each of the searches is in, and the NWSL declined to comment further.<\/p>\n

NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman mentioned the CMO search at a media session at the league\u2019s N.Y. headquarters<\/a> on Wednesday while answering a question about the NWSL\u2019s outreach to multicultural communities, saying that, \u201chow and when we prioritize — which we want to — speaking to the Hispanic audience and multicultural audience is going to be a key priority,\u201d of the role.<\/p>\n

\"ForIn men\u2019s college hoops, starters command around 20-40% more in NIL earnings than rotational players. GETTY IMAGES <\/p>\n

March Madness has turned into the key NIL earnings window for women\u2019s and men\u2019s college basketball players, as earnings in the month of March for players have jumped 92% since 2022, per new data from Opendorse. That likely spells big potential for player earnings, as $932.5M have been spent on NIL products and services this season across men\u2019s and women\u2019s basketball. That\u2019s triple the amount of NIL spending during the 2021-22 season ($314.4M).<\/p>\n

Other key stats from Opendorse:<\/p>\n

In men\u2019s hoops, starters command around 20-40% more in NIL earnings than rotational players, while on the women\u2019s side, it\u2019s 30-40% more.Looking at recent transfer portal movement in men\u2019s and women\u2019s hoops, players who move from a mid-major to a \u201cblue blood\u201d type of school see an average NIL earnings increase of 540%.Only one of the top 10 most followed women\u2019s hoopsters is an underclassman, showing that staying in college helps players with audience and influence. On the men\u2019s side, eight of the top 10 on social are underclassmen, as the best players usually come in for a season before jumping to the NBA.\"ItalyTeam USA will \u201cadvance to the knockout round\u201d of the 2026 World Baseball Classic after Italy beat Mexico 9-1 in front of 39,894 on Wednesday. Getty Images <\/p>\n

Team USA will \u201cadvance to the knockout round\u201d of the 2026 World Baseball Classic after Italy beat Mexico 9-1 in front of 39,894 on Wednesday. The Italians secured the top spot in Pool B with a 4-0 record, while the U.S. finished second at 3-1. Team USA faced elimination<\/a> after losing to Italy 8-6 on Tuesday. Team USA manager Mark DeRosa \u201cfaced a ton of scrutiny online\u201d after claiming his team had locked up a spot in the knockout rounds following its win over Mexico on Monday. The U.S. will face Canada in the quarterfinal Saturday at 3pm ET at Daikin Park in Houston. The game will be carried by FS1 (SI, 3\/11<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Speed Reads…<\/p>\n

Nashville Superspeedway announced that the venue\u2019s NASCAR O\u2019Reilly Auto Parts Series event on May 30 will be \u201csponsored by Sports Illustrated Resorts\u201d (SI, 3\/11<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Jim Ratcliffe is \u201cpreparing to relinquish the naming rights\u201d of his Ineos Grenadiers professional cycling team by securing a new $133.9M (\u00a3100M) title sponsor, which will be Netcompany (London TIMES, 3\/11<\/a>).<\/p>\n

The most read article yesterday was about a ruling coming down in a legal fight between the Univ. of South Carolina and a longtime Gamecocks fan: Univ. of South Carolina legal bid denied in \u2018Lifetime Member\u2019 seat dispute<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Morning Hot Reads: Feeling major<\/p>\n

The N.Y. POST went with the header, \u201cThe Players Championship feels like a major \u2014 but doesn\u2019t need to be one<\/a>.” The Players Championship that starts Thursday is a \u201cmajor event\u201d on the global golf calendar, but it\u2019s not a major championship. This feels like a \u201cthinly veiled, passive-aggressive approach to reigniting the \u2018fifth major\u2019 argument.\u201d It \u201cis not, and should not be — for a variety of reasons.\u201d<\/p>\n

Also: <\/p>\n

Social Scoop…<\/p>\n

Italy’s World Baseball Classic team wears suits to games, drinks espresso after home runs and plays Andrea Bocelli’s “Time To Say Goodbye” as the victory song. They’re perfect.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) March 12, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

The Clippers (33-32) are the only team in NBA history to move above .500 after falling at least 15 games below .500 in the same season.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) March 12, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Woke up at 3 a.m. yesterday. It felt like Christmas morning\u2026 meets skydiving. <\/p>\n

Launching a pro sports brand is what dreams are made of; the response to Forest City Cleveland @cleprosoccer<\/a> has been, too. <\/p>\n

Siri, play \u201cIsn\u2019t She Lovely\u201d by Stevie Wonder. pic.twitter.com\/pCy5Z2nLZC<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Gina Prodan Kelly (@ginaprodankelly) March 11, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp very impressive.
Confident and direct.
Fearless to admit what he doesn\u2019t know, and the importance of transparency.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d imagine much of that confidence stems from spending substantial time earning Tiger Woods trust and respect in meetings upon meetings.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Marty Smith (@MartySmithESPN) March 11, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cHome to dry lake beds in the Mojave, it was once known as Muroc Field & later renamed for a test pilot who died in a crash.\u201d <\/p>\n

Off the presses…<\/p>\n

The Morning Buzz offers today\u2019s back pages and sports covers from some of North America\u2019s major metropolitan newspapers:<\/p>\n

Final Jeopardy…<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is Edwards Air Force Base?\u201d<\/p>\n