But WNBPA executive director Terri Jackson used the phrase \u201ccautious optimism\u201d to describe the players\u2019 outlook, and Storm co-owner Ginny Gilder carefully chose the words \u201cshared risk.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEverybody gave up something and everybody got something,\u201d Gilder said. \u201cAnd that\u2019s exactly what both sides wanted. Both sides won<\/a>.\u201d <\/p>\n The agreement was supposed to last eight years, but when the players\u2019 union opted out in October 2024, it was a sign that the league\u2019s undeniable growth wasn\u2019t aligned with the way players believed they should be compensated.<\/p>\n The decision to opt out set up the scenario the sides currently face, unable to establish a new agreement by the Friday deadline. <\/p>\n Both sides all but conceded publicly earlier in the week that a deal wouldn\u2019t be reached by the deadline.<\/p>\n Erin Drake, the union\u2019s senior adviser and legal counsel, said Tuesday on The Athletic\u2019s \u201cNo Offseason\u201d podcast, \u201cFor a year, we\u2019ve known that this was a deadline, and for us it\u2019s always been a very real deadline, and we have worked hard to be able to say on Friday, we did it. Unfortunately, that\u2019s not going to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n Later that day, the WNBA offered the Players Association a negotiation extension, according to a report from ESPN<\/a>. <\/p>\n The sides needed two extensions to get the deal done in 2020. There was a 60-day extension in October 2019, then another three-week extension in December, before reaching the deal in January 2020<\/a>.<\/p>\n A work stoppage would be a first in WNBA history. The closest call came in 2003, when negotiations lasted until April. The draft was delayed by a week, but the season started on schedule. <\/p>\n The 2019 negotiations, while lengthy, weren\u2019t nearly as combative, at least publicly. Engelbert was in her first year on the job, she came in with a business background as the first female CEO at Deloitte, and had the stated goal of transforming the league economically, ultimately increasing player salaries. <\/p>\n This time, players have been openly and vehemently critical of the league overall, and Engelbert specifically. Lynx star Napheesa Collier, one of the faces of the league and vice president of the Players Association, held a news conference after her team lost in the playoff semifinals, and said, \u201cWe have the best players in the world, we have the best fans in the world, but right now we have the worst leadership in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n As contentious as it\u2019s gotten between the players and the league, the core issue isn\u2019t complex. With the growth of the league, players don\u2019t just want increased pay, they want a share of revenue that grows as the league continues to grow. <\/p>\n There\u2019s no greater example of the league\u2019s exploding value than Mark Davis buying the Aces in 2021 for $2 million. The team is now valued at $290 million, according to Sportico. The Valkyries paid a $50 million expansion fee to join last season. The Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire are set to join next season after paying $50 million and $75 million, respectively. Future franchises in Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia each paid $250 million. <\/p>\n