Breanna Stewart and Kelsey Plum Seek to Strengthen CBA Negotiations in the WNBA
WNBPA Vice President Breanna Stewart revealed that the letter sent along with Kelsey Plum to the players’ union executive director, Terri Jackson, aimed primarily to “redirect the entire executive committee” to achieve the best possible deal in the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) during negotiations with the league. The three-page letter, which addresses “serious concerns about how the PA is handling the current negotiations” for a new CBA, includes “the lack of adequate participation from the players in the process.” During a Team USA minicamp in Miami, Stewart explained that the letter did not seek to undermine Jackson or cause divisions within the executive committee or the players’ association.Stewart, a star for the New York Liberty, added that both she and Plum, the union’s first vice president, have spoken directly with Jackson and the rest of the executive committee, composed of Nneka Ogwumike, Napheesa Collier, Elizabeth Williams, Alysha Clark, and Brianna Turner.Terri is our CEO. We know she is leading us in the best way possible. Although there may be some differences of opinion or questions, everything is with the good intention of knowing that we do the right thing for all the players.
Breanna Stewart
The union held a call with its players on Tuesday night, which Stewart described as “more difficult.” It addressed the issues raised by Stewart and Plum, as well as the results of a survey by the players’ association. This survey asked, among other things, whether the players “would accept the league’s proposal of 50% of net revenue, which is less than 15% of gross revenue in an eight-year deal, or whether they would ask the union to continue negotiating.”
According to a social media post by the union, 84% of the players who responded said they “would not accept 15% and want the union to continue negotiating,” although the number of participants in the survey was not specified. Stewart mentioned that there was another call between the executive committee on Thursday night, which he considered “much more productive”. The union has not yet responded to the league’s latest proposal, received on March 2nd. This new offer from the league proposes to accelerate eligibility for maximum contracts for star players with rookie scale contracts. The league’s revenue sharing proposal remains the same as the previous ones, although the cap in year 1 increased from $5.65 million to $5.75 million, and from $1.5 million in 2025. According to the league’s conservative projections, the salary cap will grow to approximately $8.5 million by year 6 of the agreement. Stewart doesn’t know when the union will send its counterproposal. Your comments come four days before the March 10 deadline set by the league for the WNBPA to attempt to complete a summary of terms for a new CBA. The 2026 regular season is scheduled to begin on May 8, but before that, the league must hold a college draft (scheduled for April 13), an expansion draft for two teams, and free agency for more than 100 players.
