Intense Negotiations in the WNBA: “Movement Remains the Word”
The executive director of the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA), Terri Carmichael Jackson, reported this Friday that “the movement remains the word” amid intense collective bargaining between the players’ union and the WNBA. The conversations, which are already in their fourth day, are taking place in midtown Manhattan.Negotiations between the league and the union have consumed a considerable number of daily hours since Tuesday, the deadline set by the league to finalize an agreement that avoids affecting the 2026 season schedule. Sources close to the negotiations indicated that both parties have made progress on secondary issues. However, there is still work to be done, especially in defining a new revenue-sharing system. Jackson reiterated that a system “significantly linked to revenue” remains a priority for the players.“I think the league, and particularly the commissioner and her team, have heard that transformation is still the goal,” Jackson told reporters. “As long as the movement keeps us moving forward, I think we’re okay.”
Terri Carmichael Jackson, Executive Director of the WNBPA
The league and the union have proposed different systems for determining player salaries. The WNBA has suggested that players receive, on average, more than 70% of net revenue (revenue after deducting expenses), while the union’s latest known offer requested 26% of gross revenue (revenue before expenses) during the term of the agreement. Previously, the union rejected the league’s proposal to give players less than 15% of gross revenue, while the WNBA has called the union’s proposals “unrealistic”, arguing that they would result in losses of hundreds of millions of dollars. According to the latest available data, the parties exchanged figures on salary caps for the first year: $6.2 million (excluding revenue sharing payments) from the league and approximately $9.5 million from the players.“I think the ongoing conversations [this week] have helped us reduce concerns on both sides and how to address them,” added Jackson.
Terri Carmichael Jackson, Executive Director of the WNBPA
WNBPA Vice President Napheesa Collier joined in-person negotiations on Friday night, while executive committee members Brianna Turner and Alysha Clark, who were present earlier in the week, are no longer present.“Now we have to keep dancing and see where that ends up,” Jackson commented.
Terri Carmichael Jackson, Executive Director of the WNBPA
