WNBA Players Express Disappointment and Hope After CBA Meeting
INDIANAPOLIS – Following a meeting with Commissioner Cathy Engelbert and representatives of the owners, the WNBA players, present at the All-Star weekend, described the meeting as a “missed opportunity.” However, they also expressed their hope that more constructive discussions will take place as both parties work on a new collective bargaining agreement. The players spoke to the media on Friday at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse, after Thursday’s meeting, which was attended by at least 40 WNBA players. Last fall, the players’ union opted to terminate the current agreement, which came into effect in 2020, in the hope of having a new collective bargaining agreement in October. The WNBA’s calendar demands an agreement by then or as soon as possible, especially considering that the league must conduct an expansion draft for the new Portland and Toronto franchises for the 2026 season. Last year’s expansion draft for the Golden State Valkyries was in December.The union president, Nneka Ogwumike, of the Seattle Storm, said she wished the strong participation of the players on Thursday had produced more.“We are against the clock. Nobody wants a lockout,” said Napheesa Collier, captain of the All-Star team of the Minnesota Lynx. “But at the end of the day, we have to stand firm and we are not going to give in on certain issues. So let’s hope the league comes back quickly so we can have more dialogue, more conversations and we can get the ball rolling.”
Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx
The players said that two areas where both sides seemed to agree for the most part are family planning and retirement benefits. But on some key issues – revenue sharing, salary structure, and prioritization – they are still very far apart. Prioritization means putting the WNBA firmly ahead of playing in other leagues, such as overseas or the U.S.-based Unrivaled league, which was founded by Collier and Breanna Stewart of the New York Liberty, and Athletes Unlimited, which take place in one city in the period from January to March. Since the WNBA began in 1997, it has been common for players to earn additional income by playing elsewhere during the WNBA offseason. That came to a head in the latest collective bargaining agreement negotiations, when the league’s owners insisted on a stricter commitment from the players to the WNBA from the start of training camp. Gabby Williams of the Seattle Storm said she believes the WNBA would like to sideline other leagues and get year-round commitment from players for the WNBA, but the salaries being offered don’t support that. Collier added that while she doesn’t feel the WNBA is against leagues like Unrivaled, “you can’t have exclusivity without paying for it.” The players entered on Thursday already a little worried about the lack of a quick response from the WNBA to the union’s offer five months ago. In February, the players sent an initial proposal to the league and then a follow-up. The league did not respond to that until June 13.“This was a very historic way for the players to introduce themselves, and they understood how big the moment was,” Ogwumike said. “We expected that maybe more would be obtained given the commitment. I don’t foresee us having another meeting with so many players involved.”
Nneka Ogwumike, Seattle Storm
“Based on your most recent proposal, we simply can’t get to a place where we’re actually talking about the same thing. So I think that’s the hardest thing: our first offer and then your counteroffer was, like, black and white.” Sabrina Ionescu, Stewart’s teammate and also an All-Star starter, said there wasn’t enough time for substantial progress to be made on Thursday, but she wasn’t discouraged.“We have strength in numbers,” Stewart said. “[The] meeting was good in that we were able to be in the same room as the league and the Board of Governors and that sort of thing. But I think, to be frank, it was a missed opportunity. We could have really delved into everything.
Breanna Stewart
The players said that the experience of the union president, Nneka Ogwumike, who held the same position for the 2020 collective bargaining agreement, is an advantage. She and the union’s executive director, Terri Jackson, and Engelbert, who took office as commissioner in the summer of 2019, have already done this before. However, the league’s financial footprint has changed a lot since 2019. Golden State became the 13th WNBA team this year, and the league will expand to 18 teams by 2030. Franchise valuations have skyrocketed since 2019, and the league has signed a new television rights deal. That’s why revenue sharing is a key point of emphasis for the players.“[We were able to] listen to Cathy and her team about how they obviously want the best for us too, and try to figure out what that is,” said Ionescu, who was a senior at Oregon when the last collective bargaining agreement was signed. “Obviously, they want to be as successful as we do, as we are trying to find a middle ground where both parties are happy.”
Sabrina Ionescu
Natasha Cloud, guard for the Liberty, said that, although she doesn’t doubt the sincerity of both parties to reach an agreement, it must be understood that, for negotiation purposes, they are adversaries.“Revenue sharing is truly transformative,” said Kelsey Plum, guard for the Los Angeles Sparks. “We want a piece of the whole pie. Not a piece of part of the pie. We are a resilient group. We know the unity that is needed to be able to [achieve] the desired outcome.”
Kelsey Plum, Los Angeles Sparks
“We are not going to shake hands during the collective bargaining agreement,” she said. “We are fighting for what is rightfully ours, for our worth. They are going to fight for what they believe protects the business. Our job is to find common ground. But that doesn’t mean we keep taking the crumbs from the cake.”
Natasha Cloud, Liberty
