WNBA: Players Reject Collective Bargaining Agreement Proposal, Negotiations Stalled

Firm Stance of the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) on the WNBA Proposal

The Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) has expressed its dissatisfaction with the latest collective bargaining agreement proposal presented by the WNBA. Sources close to the negotiations revealed that the WNBPA believes the current proposal does not represent significant progress in the talks, with only ten days remaining before the current collective bargaining agreement expires. The league’s proposal, which includes a revenue-sharing component combined with a base salary, would allow players to reach a maximum salary of over $1.1 million. The average salary would be more than $460,000, while the minimum would exceed $220,000. In comparison, the league minimum salary in 2025 was $66,079, and the supermax was $249,244. However, sources indicate that the players’ union does not see in the proposal a system that guarantees the adequate growth of the salary cap and the players’ salaries in line with the growth of the business. This has been a constant demand from the players since they chose not to renew the current collective agreement in October 2024.

The players do not want a fixed salary system, but rather one that is more directly linked to revenue, similar to what happens in the NBA, where the salary cap is determined based on basketball-related income (BRI).

Statements from the WNBPA

Previously, the league had stated that its proposal included “significant guaranteed increases in the salary cap and a substantial revenue sharing without a cap, which would allow players’ salaries to grow as the league’s business does.” The union’s response was forceful, calling the proposal an attempt to “gloss over the situation and reuse a system that is not linked to any part of the business and intentionally undervalues the players.” In the current collective bargaining agreement, the salary cap increased annually at a fixed rate of 3%, reaching $1,507,100 in 2025. In addition, a revenue-sharing clause provided for direct payments to the players if the league reached certain revenue targets, something that has not materialized during the term of the agreement. Last month, both parties agreed to a 30-day extension, until November 30, of the current collective bargaining agreement, although both the league and the union can terminate the agreement with 48 hours’ notice. Negotiations have continued in recent weeks, with a recent meeting held on Wednesday.