WNBA Proposal: Increased Revenue Sharing and Historic Salaries
The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) has presented a new collective bargaining agreement proposal that promises to transform the league’s salary landscape. Sources close to the negotiations have confirmed that the proposal includes revenue sharing and a maximum salary exceeding 1.1 million dollars, available to multiple players per team, with annual growth.
During this week’s meetings, WNBA executives briefed the board on the details of the proposal. The league’s minimum salary would also see a significant increase, exceeding $220,000, with an average exceeding $460,000.
These figures would come into effect in the first year of the agreement for more than 180 players, and are expected to increase over the duration of the collective bargaining agreement, according to the source.
The current collective bargaining agreement expired on October 31, but the WNBA and the players’ union agreed to extend negotiations until November 30. This extension will allow more time to negotiate an agreement that could be revolutionary for players in terms of compensation.
The players exercised their right to opt out of renewing the current collective bargaining agreement last year, hoping to obtain, among other things, a greater distribution of revenue, higher salaries, better benefits, and a more flexible salary cap. When the last collective bargaining agreement expired in 2019, both parties agreed to a 60-day extension, with a collective bargaining agreement finally ratified in January 2020.
