WNBA Negotiations: League’s Proposal Doesn’t Satisfy Players
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 exceeding $1.1 million, with an average of more than $460,000 and a minimum exceeding $220,000. In comparison, the minimum salary in 2025 was $66,079 and the supermax was $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 growth of the business. This has been a constant demand of the players since they chose not to renew the current collective bargaining agreement in October 2024.The league has stated that its proposal includes “significant guaranteed increases in the salary cap and a substantial revenue sharing without a cap that allows players’ salaries to grow as the league’s business does.” 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 (3%), reaching $1,507,100 in 2025, and a separate revenue-sharing provision provided for direct payments to the players if the league reached certain revenue targets. This component has not yet been activated during the term of the agreement. Last month, both sides agreed to a 30-day extension, until November 30, of the current collective agreement, although both sides can terminate the agreement with 48 hours’ notice. The league and the union have continued to negotiate in recent weeks, with a meeting held as recently as Wednesday.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 by basketball-related income (BRI).
Sources close to the negotiations
