'Slap in the face': Indiana Fever veteran 'fighting for a fair share' in WNBA contract bargaining
"Yeah, it's a slap in the face," the Indiana Fever guard told IndyStar ahead of Thursday's 81-54 win over Las Vegas.
Front Office Sports reported Wednesday the league made its first offer last week as negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement continue. That proposal drew a sharply negative response from the players, who felt the initial response wasn't "entirely responsive" to their request, FOS reported.
The WNBA players opted out of the current CBA in October 2024, meaning it will expire at season's end. That deal has been in place since 2020.
"We've seen growth in our league," Colson said. "We're not asking for anything crazy, but it's only fair that players start to reap some of the financial rewards for bringing in better attendance in their home arenas, neutral sites, whatever it is. Players are helping to grow the game, grow our market. We should see some of that (financially)."
Labor negotiations have been at the forefront of WNBA discourse the past couple weeks.
Colson and Fever wing Sophie Cunningham both read a prepared statement on behalf of the WNBPA on June 22 in Las Vegas, calling this "a defining moment" in the WNBA. "As the league grows, it's time for a CBA that reflects our true value."
"We are fighting for a fair share of the business that we've built, because it is a business," they continued. "We are not fighting for anything that's unreasonable. When it comes to salary and revenue share, we are fighting to share in the growth that we've created. Every other category across the business has grown. … The only thing that is still capped is our player salaries, which is insane. We deserve a fair share."
Caitlin Clark made headlines Tuesday when she appeared on Colson's Instagram live from inside the Fever locker room and highlighted the discrepancy in payouts for winning the Commissioner's Cup and winning the WNBA championship.
As the Commissioner's Cup champions, Indiana players are eligible to receive up to $30,000, while the runner-up Lynx can receive up to $10,000.
Winning the WNBA championship carries a $20,825 payout, per the current CBA, while finishing runner-up pays $7,746.
'We get more for this than you do if you're a (WNBA) champion," Clark said. "It makes no sense. Someone tell (commissioner) Cathy (Engelbert) to help us out.'
'Someone tell Cathy to help us out': Caitlin Clark calls out commissioner for payout being more for in-season tournament than WNBA title
Colson is not at the bargaining table for this round of negotiations, but said this is the first time she's "really making sure to be more vocal," participating in league-wide calls and encouraging players around the league to participate.
"We have to show that we understand what's going on," said Colson, adding she wishes she'd been more involved and done more earlier in her career. "(The league) must think we don't understand business, or we don't understand the things that we're seeing across the league, or that we won't stick together and do something to show that we respect ourselves and believe that we're owed what we've worked for."
Colson credited past players unions for making sure they made it easier for those who came after them, and believes that should be the current WNBPA's mission, as well.
"It may not affect you, hopefully it does, but you definitely want it to affect the people coming after you," she said.
Colson laments not being more involved with past labor negotiations and she encouraged younger players to make sure they're as involved as possible so they know what's going on with their money and careers.
"A lot of players get to the point where you're grateful to have a job, honestly," Colson said. "You're glad to not have to go overseas constantly or to get a training camp roster spot and stick, so you're maybe not as focused on what you should be, like reading the CBA and making sure you totally understand everything that's in it."
"That's some of my regrets from being younger and not as involved," she continued. "Now I'm gonna make sure that I'm just speaking up more."
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