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Associated Press
4 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
WNBA players and the league are far apart on new CBA talks ahead of in-person discussions
NEW YORK (AP) — The WNBA players union and league officials have much to discuss when they sit down this week for their first in-person talks as a group since December about the new collective bargaining agreement. After sharing initial proposals, the two sides apparently are far apart in the early negotiations as they prepare for their first face-to-face meeting that includes the players executive council in Indianapolis on Thursday heading into All-Star weekend. 'We got a proposal from the league, which was honestly a slap in the face,' Phoenix Mercury forward and union rep Satou Sabally said. Increased salaries, revenue sharing and roster size are three areas where the union expect to see major changes from the current CBA that will expire at the end of this season after the players decided to opt out last year. Nearly all the players who aren't on rookie scale contracts right now will be free agents after this season and looking for big salary increases. Union president Nneka Ogwumike, who has now been a part of three CBA negotiations, is optimistic that Thursday's meeting could be beneficial for both sides since it's in-person. The two sides have had meetings over the last few months, but this will be the first time that all the players on the executive council will be there. Ogwumike said 'when you're doing things via documents, when you're doing things via proxy, whether it's ... our union staff and league staff,' it's different. But 'when you're sitting at the table, things a lot of times, in my experience, you get done a little bit more efficiently.' The WNBA is experiencing unprecedented growth across nearly every business metric from attendance and viewership. There's also the new $2.2 billion media rights deal that will start next season and the league plans to expand to 18 teams by 2030 with each of the three new teams paying $250 million expansion fee. 'It's interesting that there's a $250 million expansion fee, and there's no openness to have that be reflected in revenue share that goes to the players, especially as we're experiencing growth,' Ogwumike said. 'It doesn't make a lot of sense to me, but we're hoping we can get some clarity on that in Indiana.' Ogwumike said the players had submitted a proposal back in February that the league finally responded to last month. She was surprised it took so long for the league to respond with its proposal, saying that it seemed that the league misunderstood the union's initial offer. WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said at the draft in April that the union's initial proposal wasn't comprehensive, but that she also is optimistic that a deal would get done. 'We'll get something done and it'll be transformational,' she said. 'These things take time.' The key thing for the commissioner is that the new CBA protects the sustainability of the league going forward. 'We want to have a fair deal for all, but it has to be within the confines of a sustainable economic model that goes on for 10 years,' she said. 'We've had a few years of great growth … but we need to continue to make sure that we can fund the things that the players are asking for, that we want for them, too.' If a deal isn't done by the end of October, some players, including Napheesa Collier and Angel Reese, have mentioned the potential of a walkout. 'From the players' perspective, it's hard to be able to navigate this during the middle of the season, but also we know how important it is and really getting it done before the end of October and we're making that effort to be able to do both,' union vice president Breanna Stewart said. 'The fact that it's been a little bit slow to start is tough, but hopeful things will ramp up now after getting their proposal back. We have a big meeting in Indy at All-Star and it's going to be spicy.' ___ AP WNBA:
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
WNBA players and the league are far apart on new CBA talks ahead of in-person discussions
FILE - The WNBA logo is seen near a hoop before an WNBA basketball game at Mohegan Sun Arena, Tuesday, May 14, 2019, in Uncasville, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill, File) NEW YORK (AP) — The WNBA players union and league officials have much to discuss when they sit down this week for their first in-person talks as a group since December about the new collective bargaining agreement. After sharing initial proposals, the two sides apparently are far apart in the early negotiations as they prepare for their first face-to-face meeting that includes the players executive council in Indianapolis on Thursday heading into All-Star weekend. Advertisement 'We got a proposal from the league, which was honestly a slap in the face,' Phoenix Mercury forward and union rep Satou Sabally said. Increased salaries, revenue sharing and roster size are three areas where the union expect to see major changes from the current CBA that will expire at the end of this season after the players decided to opt out last year. Nearly all the players who aren't on rookie scale contracts right now will be free agents after this season and looking for big salary increases. Union president Nneka Ogwumike, who has now been a part of three CBA negotiations, is optimistic that Thursday's meeting could be beneficial for both sides since it's in-person. The two sides have had meetings over the last few months, but this will be the first time that all the players on the executive council will be there. Ogwumike said 'when you're doing things via documents, when you're doing things via proxy, whether it's ... our union staff and league staff," it's different. But "when you're sitting at the table, things a lot of times, in my experience, you get done a little bit more efficiently.' Advertisement The WNBA is experiencing unprecedented growth across nearly every business metric from attendance and viewership. There's also the new $2.2 billion media rights deal that will start next season and the league plans to expand to 18 teams by 2030 with each of the three new teams paying $250 million expansion fee. 'It's interesting that there's a $250 million expansion fee, and there's no openness to have that be reflected in revenue share that goes to the players, especially as we're experiencing growth,' Ogwumike said. 'It doesn't make a lot of sense to me, but we're hoping we can get some clarity on that in Indiana.' Ogwumike said the players had submitted a proposal back in February that the league finally responded to last month. She was surprised it took so long for the league to respond with its proposal, saying that it seemed that the league misunderstood the union's initial offer. WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said at the draft in April that the union's initial proposal wasn't comprehensive, but that she also is optimistic that a deal would get done. Advertisement 'We'll get something done and it'll be transformational," she said. 'These things take time.' The key thing for the commissioner is that the new CBA protects the sustainability of the league going forward. 'We want to have a fair deal for all, but it has to be within the confines of a sustainable economic model that goes on for 10 years,' she said. 'We've had a few years of great growth … but we need to continue to make sure that we can fund the things that the players are asking for, that we want for them, too.' If a deal isn't done by the end of October, some players, including Napheesa Collier and Angel Reese, have mentioned the potential of a walkout. Advertisement 'From the players' perspective, it's hard to be able to navigate this during the middle of the season, but also we know how important it is and really getting it done before the end of October and we're making that effort to be able to do both,' union vice president Breanna Stewart said. 'The fact that it's been a little bit slow to start is tough, but hopeful things will ramp up now after getting their proposal back. We have a big meeting in Indy at All-Star and it's going to be spicy.' ___ AP WNBA:
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
WNBA CBA Tensions Rising Ahead of All-Star Break
Add Las Vegas Aces star A'ja Wilson to the list of WNBA players frustrated by the current state of collective bargaining negotiations. The three-time league MVP says the league's recent counter-proposal—which she called an 'eyebrow-raiser'—doesn't include the equitable revenue-sharing system that the players' union seeks amid a league-wide economic boom. 'We know who we're dealing with on the other side,' Wilson said earlier this week. 'I think the biggest thing is making sure that we continue to call out the BS when we see it … We're not going to let up until we get what we have earned.' Advertisement More from There are less than four months until the current CBA's expires, and the WNBA's recent counter-proposal has increased tension. Wilson says it's another reminder that there's a lot of work to be done for the Women's National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) and its advisors to achieve a 'total revenue share' that's doesn't limit player payouts like the current CBA does. The league's response featured a similar revenue-sharing system as the current CBA with a hard salary cap, according to a source familiar with the negotiations. The union is aiming to soften the salary cap, so there's more flexibility to exceed the cap. The WNBA did not respond to a request for comment. WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike echoed a similar sentiment as Wilson; she believes the league had a 'misinterpretation' of the union's initial proposals sent earlier this year. While the Seattle Storm star was pleased that the league responded last month, she said it took far longer than expected. She stopped short of saying the delay was intentional. Advertisement The WNBPA also aims to improve family planning and retirement benefits, with a more robust pension plan. But the revenue-sharing dispute has made negotiations on non-salary compensation clauses more difficult, Ogwumike said. 'It's interesting that there's a $250 million expansion fee, and there's no openness to have that be reflected in revenue share that goes to the players, especially as we're experiencing growth,' she told reporters last week. 'It doesn't make a lot of sense to me, but we're hoping we can get some clarity on that in Indiana.' WNBPA executive director Terri Carmichael Jackson previously stated she hoped to have significant progress toward a new accord by the WNBA All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis, which kicks off on July 18. It's expected there will be a meeting between league officials and WNBPA staffers, player reps and other advisors while everyone is in town. There needs to be an agreement by the Oct. 31 deadline to avoid a work stoppage. The union hopes to walk away from the Indy meeting with more confidence that a deal will be done before the deadline. Advertisement 'I don't think we're as close as we thought we were going to be,' Aces guard and union player rep Chelsea Gray said. The 11-year WNBA veteran called the recent counter-proposal 'terrible' and said she was surprised that there wasn't 'that big of a jump' from the current revenue-sharing model, which pays players 50% of all incremental revenue, which is a percentage of league earnings that exceed set growth targets. The incremental revenue-share structure is a stark contrast compared to other sports leagues. The NBA, for example, pays players 51% of basketball-related income, which is gross operating revenue gained by the league and its teams. This includes income from ticket sales, TV deals and merchandise. In the NFL, meanwhile, players are guaranteed 48% of the league's revenue as outlined in their CBA. In the last week, notable All-Star players from the WNBPA committee, including Breanna Stewart of the New York Liberty and Satou Sabally of the Phoenix Mercury, have been vocal about their disappointment in the league's initial counter. Sabally went as far to call it a 'slap in the face' and has previously called out WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert. The WNBA is experiencing unprecedented growth across nearly every business metric, including ticket sales and viewership. Buoyed by $2.2 billion from new media rights deals set to kick in next year, the league plans to expand to 18 teams by 2030. Advertisement 'We bring a lot of eyes and awareness to this league,' Gray added. 'There's no league without the players, so the revenue share needs to reflect that.' Best of Sign up for Sportico's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
