Latest news with #PlayersUnion
New York Times
20-07-2025
- Business
- New York Times
WNBA players wisely use All-Star spotlight for CBA leverage: ‘Pay us what you owe us'
INDIANAPOLIS — The WNBA All-Star Weekend represented the league at its peak: a massive mid-season showcase featuring the best players in the world, hosted in a city that has become synonymous with the rapid explosion of women's sports. But the celebrations took place in front of a backdrop of labor uncertainty. The league and the players' union remain far apart in negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement, with the current CBA set to expire on Oct. 31, 2025. With all eyes on the league, the All-Stars emerged for pregame warmups Saturday to reveal a message on their shirts: 'Pay Us What You Owe Us.' The players had a breakfast meeting the morning of the All-Star game when they collectively decided to make the shirts. The shirt is available for sale on the players' union's Instagram account, with all proceeds going to the WNBPA and the players. A post shared by WNBPA (@thewnbpa) After years of fighting an existential battle for the survival of the league, WNBA players enter this bargaining cycle with a rare power: leverage. The league is generating record revenue, it's expanding, and it's become part of the national consciousness. Now is the time for the players to cash in on what they have brought to the table. They want a business model that allows them to share in the growth of the WNBA and direct more of the revenue towards salaries and player experience. Advertisement 'We see the growth in the league and as it stands, the current salary system is not really paying us what we're owed,' said union president Nneka Ogwumike, a Seattle Storm forward. 'We want to be able to have that fair share moving forward, especially as we see all of the investment going in, and we want to be able to have our salaries be reflected in a structure that makes sense for us.' The league is in a period of hyper growth, as commissioner Cathy Engelbert illuminated in her annual mid-season address. Viewership is up 23 percent year over year, attendance 26 percent, and merchandise sales 40 percent. Money is pouring into the league — via media rights, expansion fees and other avenues — but players need to secure a piece of the growing business before the WNBA enters a sustainability mode. Their prominent message on one of the league's biggest nights, and their commitment to a united front, shows that the union understands its strength and is taking control of the narrative. Doing so on All-Star weekend isn't just about getting all of the players in one room together, though the breakfast meeting composed mostly of union leadership couldn't have happened if the players weren't all in one place. The timing is also important to engage fans when they are paying attention and when players are speaking to a nationally-televised audience on ABC. This effort allowed players to tap into the community that supports them and wants to help. At a panel earlier Saturday, fans asked Dawn Staley, Sydney Colson and Kate Martin how they could make a difference in the negotiations. Fans brought 'Pay the Players' signs to the game, and Mystics guard Brittney Sykes displayed one visible on the broadcast behind Engelbert during postgame interviews. The crowd also drowned out Englebert's speech with chants of 'pay them.' 'Pay them!' WNBA All-Star fans drowned out commissioner Cathy Engelbert during her presentation of the game's MVP award. With several CBA conversations in Indy this weekend, players warmed up in shirts that read 'Pay Us What You Owe Us.' — The Athletic (@TheAthletic) July 20, 2025 'It's huge to have the fans backing us,' union vice president Napheesa Collier said. 'A lot of things are the court of public opinion, and it does matter what people think, they of course, at the league recognize that as well, so adding that pressure is really great for us.' Players are not new to public activism. As WNBPA first vice president Kelsey Plum said, this is a resilient group that was politically outspoken during the Georgia Senate race in 2020. They understand the unity it takes to achieve a desired outcome. Advertisement Fashion as a visual forum for protest is a familiar tactic. The Minnesota Lynx wore T-shirts that said 'Change starts with us' and 'Black Lives Matter' on the back after the police killing of Philando Castile in 2016. The entire league wore Breonna Taylor's name on their jerseys in the 2020 WNBA bubble after she was killed by a police officer. And in 2022, the WNBA All-Stars changed at halftime into Brittney Griner jerseys to bring attention to her detention in Russia. At a moment that is critical to determine their future, players don't want to leave any stones unturned. They need participation from throughout the union, which is why a record number of players showed up to the bargaining meeting. For instance, Satou Sabally was unable to play in the All-Star Game but flew to Indiana on Thursday to attend the negotiations. Players have to publicly apply pressure on the league, using their collective, consistent messaging and their fan bases to rally behind them. They are preparing for a lockout, putting money away in case negotiations stall. They are appealing to Engelbert's legacy: Does she want to be the commissioner who presided over the most significant growth in women's sports history, or the one who oversaw a work stoppage? The wording of 'owe us' on the T-shirts was clarifying. The players have talked about getting what is fair, but this was a crucial change in the strategy to signify that a piece of the business already belongs to them. 'We're going to continue to push for everything that we've earned,' Liberty guard Natasha Cloud said. 'The word earned is something that needs to be highlighted. I think a lot of times you get told to just continue to take crumbs and be thankful for what we have,and that's just not the case anymore.' By hijacking a tentpole event for the league, players are expressing that they will not settle. They can't afford to do anything less. (Photo of Brittney Sykes: Steph Chambers / Getty Images)
Arab News
19-07-2025
- Sport
- Arab News
Frustration hangs over WNBA All-Star weekend as players slam latest labor talks
INDIANAPOLIS: Labor negotiations between the WNBA and the players' union hung over the All-Star weekend on Friday, as a dazzling showcase of the league's progress kicked off amid frustration from the women on the court in Indianapolis. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport
New York Times
01-07-2025
- Business
- New York Times
What to make of Rob Manfred's CBA sales pitch. Plus: Rangers-Orioles chaos
The Windup Newsletter ⚾ | This is The Athletic's MLB newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Windup directly in your inbox. Rob Manfred has a message for players. Should they believe it? Plus: Reds-Red Sox was exciting (but not for the reasons we hoped), Rangers-Orioles was spellbinding for the same reason public meltdowns go viral, and one star returns just as another hits the IL. I'm Levi Weaver, and Ken Rosenthal is off today — welcome to The Windup! We told you yesterday that we were going to get into this, so let's go: On Sunday night, Evan Drellich wrote that commissioner Rob Manfred has been holding meetings directly with players on each of the 30 MLB teams in advance of the CBA negotiations. The existing CBA expires in December 2026, so there's a season and a half left, but you may remember: The last negotiation was pretty fractious, leading to a lockout that threatened the 2022 season. Advertisement Since then, Manfred has been making yearly visits to each team to speak directly to players. His message: Union leadership is out of touch, and has cost players upwards of $2 billion in salary. Union head Tony Clark characterized Manfred's claims as 'full of misleading or downright false statements.' But is that accurate? And is Manfred a trustworthy source for that information? We're getting into some pretty age-old arguments here about organized labor. Generally speaking, unions collectively bargain for better working conditions, pay and other perks that management would otherwise prefer not to provide — hooray for things like the 40-hour work week and the end of child labor, for example. But the truth is: It requires solidarity to succeed. Whether Manfred's numbers are accurate or not, divide-and-conquer has been a strategy for as long as organized labor has existed. I'll let you read Drellich's column and make up your own mind, but it's worth remembering: When the battle line is 'owners vs. players' and the commissioner is hired and paid by those same owners, some healthy skepticism isn't the worst idea. It was appointment baseball television: a legitimate Cy Young contender in Garrett Crochet of the Red Sox, and a dominant young starter coming off an electric debut in Chase Burns of the Reds. It was expected to be a showcase of pitching excellence, a mano-a-mano faceoff for the 'instant classic' files. That is … not what happened. If you were expecting Burns to improve on that memorable debut — in which he struck out the first five batters he faced — welcome to the assembly of the disappointed. The Red Sox boat-raced Burns last night. As in: seven runs (five earned) on five hits, two walks and no strikeouts, in one-third of an inning. The Red Sox sent 13 hitters to the plate in the first inning, and Burns' ERA jumped from 5.40 to 13.50 in less than an inning. Welp. Advertisement -BUT- The game still gave us something to remember. In the fifth inning, Wilyer Abreu hit a ball to the deepest part of Fenway — you know, that weird center-field cut-out — and it bounced weirdly, evading all outfielders and allowing Abreu to circle the bases for an inside-the-park home run. Then in the eighth inning, Abreu struck again. This one cleared the fences, and it came with the bases loaded, making him — according to Sarah Langs — the sixth player in MLB history to hit an inside-the-park home run and (separately) a grand slam in one game. It hadn't happened since Roger Maris did it in 1958. Neat! Jen McCaffrey has more here. They don't put games like this in Ken Burns documentaries, set to string-section swells and orchestral emotion. The highlights for this one should be set to any Sex Pistols album, turned up until the speakers beg for mercy and the neighbors call the cops. The weirdness started when Orioles catcher Chadwick Tromp tweaked his back during a second-inning at-bat. He stayed in the game for one more inning, but ultimately succumbed to the pain. One problem: With Adley Rutschman on the IL, the Orioles' only other available catcher — Gary Sánchez — was in the lineup as the DH. From the third inning onward, the pitcher's spot would come up in the Orioles' lineup. That's not that weird. But bear with me … In the bottom of the seventh inning, with the Rangers trailing 3-2, rookie outfielder Michael Helman walked, then stole second. Sánchez's throw went into the outfield, so Helman ran to third, as expected. But, surprisingly, third-base coach Tony Beasley waved him on. It seemed like a very bad idea — the throw beat Helman by almost 20 feet — but Sánchez was unable to field the throw cleanly, and the tying run scored. Advertisement In the ninth inning — score still tied — Rangers catcher Kyle Higashioka walked. Trying to win it in regulation after three consecutive extra-innings affairs, Bruce Bochy sent pinch runner Ezequiel Durán to first base (Durán promptly stole second and third). One problem (sorry to repeat myself) … the Rangers' only other available catcher — Jonah Heim — was in the lineup as the DH. Two AL teams, zero designated hitters. Surely we won't refer back to this later. Anyway, the Rangers couldn't drive home Durán to walk it off in the ninth, so for the fourth consecutive night, Texas went to extra innings. That's hell on a bullpen, and the 10th inning went about like you might expect: The Orioles scored three runs. Then with two on in the bottom of the 10th, Adolis García hit a no-doubt, three-run, game-tying blast, prompting the wildest home run celebration I've seen in a long time: Adolis Garcia's tying home run in the bottom of the 10th for Texas with his reaction from several angles and both broadcasts, the Orioles won in 11 innings but this is *electric* — CJ Fogler 🫡 (@cjzero) July 1, 2025 We are not finished. Did I mention the Rangers' bullpen was exhausted? Hoby Milner, who entered the night with a 1.94 ERA, finished the night at 2.53, because — pitching for the third time in four nights — he gave up four runs. And that is how, with one out in the bottom of the 11th inning, and the game on the line, starter Jack Leiter pinch-hit for Milner, a sentence I never expected to write. By this point, I half-expected Leiter to hit a home run — no, no — a triple. It was just that kind of night. But alas, all parties must end. Leiter struck out, and the Rangers lost 10-6. It's never good timing for a division leader's star player to go down with an injury, but this feels like particularly bad luck: Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña — hitting .322/.378/.489 (.867 OPS) for the suddenly unstoppable Astros — has hit the injured list with a rib fracture. The injury happened Friday night when Peña was hit by a pitch. Initial X-rays did not show the fracture. But after he was unable to play Saturday or Sunday, he underwent more tests, including an MRI and a CT that showed: actually, yeah. There's a fracture. Advertisement It's the latest big blow for Houston, which is already without DH Yordan Alvarez and infielder Brendan Rodgers. Pitchers Spencer Arrighetti, Ronel Blanco, J.P. France, Luis Garcia and Cristian Javier are also out of commission. Going into last night's action, Peña ranked fourth in the league in bWAR, trailing only Aaron Judge, Cal Raleigh and Shohei Ohtani. Meanwhile, in Philadelphia, a Phillies team that went 13-14 without Bryce Harper in the lineup got their man back last night. Harper had been on the shelf since June 5 with a wrist issue. The two-time MVP and eight-time All-Star is hitting just .258 (.814 OPS) this year, with nine home runs in 57 games. But the Phillies offense has been in dire need of a boost, and sometimes, it's as much about the presence as it is the actual production. Case in point: Harper finished 0-for-2 with a walk last night, but the Phillies beat the Padres 4-0 as Zack Wheeler went eight shutout innings, striking out 10. You may have noticed: It's hot. Andy McCullough and Chad Jennings dive in on what MLB teams are doing to combat the heat and protect their players. This week's Power Rankings look at each team's June trends. Yankees reliever Fernando Cruz led all big-league relievers with a 14.7 K/9 rate. He'll be on the shelf for a while — he injured his oblique warming up with a medicine ball. Seiya Suzuki's 22 home runs are already a career high — at least stateside. Here's why the Cubs' 30-year-old is banging. We've been wondering who would take ESPN's place on MLB's broadcast roster. The answer might be … ESPN. As the Twins spiral, they've got to be wondering: What happened to 'Clutch Correa'? Dhani Joseph has a cool story today about the bond between Mets legends David Wright and Tom Seaver. And speaking of the Mets … with all the pitching injuries, why haven't we seen any of their top pitching prospects? Advertisement The draft is less than a month away. Here are Keith Law's top 100 draft-eligible prospects. Meanwhile, Max Clark and Sebastian Walcott highlight this year's Futures Game rosters. On the pods: The 'Rates & Barrels' crew took a look back at the totals from the last calendar year, in which Eugenio Suárez has 49 home runs (fourth-best in baseball) and Luis Robert (.267 wOBA) is the second-worst hitter in the game. Most-clicked in our last newsletter: The origin story of Dave Parker's 'Boys Boppin' shirt. 📫 Love The Windup? Check out The Athletic's other newsletters.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
How LeBron James' $52.6 million decision will shape Lakers title chances with Luka Doncic
The post How LeBron James' $52.6 million decision will shape Lakers title chances with Luka Doncic appeared first on ClutchPoints. LeBron James just finished sixth in MVP voting. He made second team All-NBA, his 21st consecutive season making an All-NBA team. When the Los Angeles Lakers traded for Luka Doncic, James shifted to a defensive-minded role and was as good at it as anyone could've possibly hoped. He has plenty in the tank and all the reasons in the world to take every red cent the Lakers are willing to offer. Still, his decision on what to do with his player option or his next contract will determine what the Lakers are capable of as they try to maximize his short window with Doncic. Advertisement Let's start with what should be the obvious: James is under no pressure whatsoever to take any kind of a pay cut. Yes, at this stage of his career, most players would be making substantially less than they did in their prime, but as James has maintained a pretty incredible level of play, he deserves the max contracts he's probably expecting. Demanding players take less than their worth is nasty business, full stop. James also has to take into account his decision's impact on the rest of the Players Union – an organization he once held a leadership position in. If James heads into next season with a veteran's minimum contract, he would apply indirect pressure on his peers to also take less, a stance he's been adamantly against since he left the Miami Heat. That said, James, like any other player in the NBA, improves his chances at winning by taking less – so long as their team, in this case, the Lakers, makes the most of the flexibility granted to them by a discount. So, if winning a championship is James' top priority, then he would likely have to consider taking at least slightly less than the max. The bigger the discount, the greater the chance he or any player gives their team at getting a ring. Now, with all in mind, let's look at each scenario, its likelihood, and the impact it would have on the Lakers' offseason. © Kim Klement-Imagn Images LeBron James opts in to Lakers option According to Shams Charania and most reporters, this is the likeliest outcome right now. James would make $52.6 million next season and become a free agent at year's end. Most echo Charania's reporting that James intends to opt in, but some sources close to the Lakers say they anticipate James opting out and signing another two-year deal worth near the max with a player option for the second season and another full no-trade clause. Advertisement Let's take a second to ask an important question here: Why would James opt in and eschew an opportunity to plan for another season making $50-ish million? He has never operated as such, and the decision would have to raise at least a few eyebrows. Perhaps James intends to retire after this season, and a contract that ends after this year is the cleanest way to do so. It's possible, and if this is his intention, then look for him to formally announce that decision and take advantage of the retirement tour he absolutely has earned. If he opts out and signs that 1+1 type deal, that second season would be calling to him like the Green Goblin mask even if he wanted to retire after next year. Or, perhaps James is concerned that, if he opts out, the Lakers may not be as open to whatever kind of deal he wants as they were before landing Doncic. If the Lakers did negotiate harder with James now that they have Doncic, it would fly in the face of how they've treated every other superstar they've had in the past, even at the end of their careers. This feels unlikely, and sources close to the team indicate the Lakers intend to give James the grace he's earned both while wearing purple and gold, and as the face of the league for two decades-plus. If James does opt in, the Lakers' options in this scenario are greatly minimized. They would be well under the second apron but right up against the first, with roster spots still needing to be filled. If they jump above that first apron, they wouldn't be able to make any trades that bring back more money than they send out, as well as other limitations. This isn't to say they would have no path to title contention whatsoever, but that path would be tricky, with very little (read: any) margin for error. Advertisement So, because there just isn't a very logical reason to do so and, frankly, because of the potential public backlash to this decision, this isn't the foregone conclusion it's been painted to be. James opting in is still considered by most to be the leader in the clubhouse, but the field is catching up, and it does feel like James opting out with the intent to sign another 1+1 deal is a scenario people should be taking more seriously. Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images LeBron James opts out, signs max or near-max In this scenario, the point would be to secure a second season as an option just in case James wants to play another year and perhaps give the Lakers a little help in 'Apron World' as he did last year, when he took just enough less than his max to let them enter the season under the second apron. Advertisement If the Lakers approached James and explained how taking slightly less would give them some necessary wiggle room under whichever apron, sources indicated that conversation would likely be productive, as they were just a year ago. With James near his max, the Lakers are probably still looking at a similar offseason outlook as the one outlined above. Yes, the Lakers could assemble a decent roster for next season, but they would be severely limited in their attempt. To be absolutely clear, taking as close to his max as he wants would be completely within James' rights that he's earned over two decades in the NBA and in his Lakers tenure, and helping even a little bit would be a sign of good faith. It just also needs to be mentioned that this potential avenue to cap flexibility would be off the table. Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images LeBron James opts out, takes a discount of varying degrees Finally, the moment you've probably been waiting for. What kind of actual discount would James consider and why? Advertisement For the 'why' part of this, as a source close to the situation explained last summer. 'He wants to win,' the source told ClutchPoints. 'And he especially wants to win with Bronny (James). What's to stop him from opting out and taking even less if he thinks it can lead to accomplishing that?' That article was written shortly after the Doncic trade, with the premise being that as the Lakers were potentially closer to winning a championship, James would be more open to helping them financially. Again, whether he does so or not is his call, and fans should honor it, but that was the logic behind asking about this decision. In order to get the Lakers under the luxury tax line so they have access to their full non-taxpayer mid-level exception, James would have to take a discount of well over $10 million. As things currently stand, sources do indicate this is pretty unlikely. Technically, it isn't impossible, but the Lakers would be unwise to plan for this without crystal clear messaging from James and his camp. Advertisement In order to convince him to take such a cut, the Lakers would have to do their homework ahead of time and show him who this discount would help them get. Last season, when Rich Paul said publicly James would take less, the list of names they'd help with consisted of James Harden, Klay Thompson, DeMar DeRozan, and (hilariously) Jonas Valanciunas. If the Lakers would like James to take a discount this season, they'd have to start by presenting him with a potential teammate along the lines of those first three names. Let's say James splits the difference and takes something like $7 million less next season. This would give the Lakers more room under the first apron, which would help them take back more in a trade than they send out. If you're hoping for a discount, this is probably the most practical thing to hope for. No matter what James decides to do, the Lakers are going to have to make it work. He has until June 29 to make a final decision, but most sources anticipate it to come before the NBA Draft, with so much motion around the league likely to take place around that time. Related: Lakers rumors: Will LA pursue center they've 'long been fans of' in free agency? Related: LeBron James drops mic on Lakers' bubble championship haters
Washington Post
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
MLS players' union says dispute over Club World Cup compensation is ongoing
Major League Soccer and its players' union remain at odds over compensation for the players with the three MLS teams taking part in the Club World Cup. The Seattle Sounders, LAFC and Inter Miami are the only MLS clubs among the 32 teams playing in the Club World Cup, which starts Saturday. Each team will earn $9.55 million as a club for participating in the tournament, with a chance to win additional prize money based on performance.
