Strong Stance of the Women’s National Basketball Players Association on 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, according to sources close to the negotiations. With only ten days until the expiration of the current agreement, talks appear stalled. The league’s proposal, which had already been reported, includes a revenue-sharing component that, added to the base salary, would allow players to reach a maximum salary of over $1.1 million. In addition, the average salary would exceed $460,000 and the minimum, $220,000. In comparison, the league minimum salary in 2025 was $66,079, while the supermax salary reached $249,244. However, the WNBPA believes that the proposal does not guarantee adequate growth of the salary cap and players’ salaries in relation to the development of the business. This has been one of the main demands of the players since they chose not to renew the current collective bargaining agreement in October 2024.Previously, the league had stated that its proposal included “significant guaranteed increases in the salary cap and a significant share of revenue without limits, allowing players’ salaries to grow as the league’s business expands.” The WNBPA responded that the proposal “masks a system that is not tied 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 provision provided for direct payments to the players if the league reached certain revenue targets. However, this component has not been activated during the term of the agreement. Last month, both parties agreed to a 30-day extension, until November 30, of the current collective agreement, although both parties can terminate the agreement with 48 hours’ notice. The league and the association have continued negotiating in recent weeks, with a meeting held recently on Wednesday.The players do not want a fixed salary system, but rather one that is more directly based on revenue, similar to the NBA, where the salary cap is determined by basketball-related income (BRI).
Sources close to the negotiations
