WNBA: Players Reject Salary Proposal, Negotiations Stalled

Firm Stance of the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) 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, considering it insufficient to advance negotiations, according to sources close to the situation. The WNBPA’s stance comes just ten days before the expiration date of the current collective bargaining agreement. The league’s proposal, which includes a revenue sharing component combined with a base salary, would allow players to reach a maximum salary above $1.1 million, with an average above $460,000 and a minimum of more than $220,000. In comparison, the league minimum salary in 2025 was $66,079, while the supermax 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 league’s economic performance. This has been one of the main demands of the players since they chose not to continue with the current collective bargaining agreement in October 2024. The players prefer a salary system more directly linked to revenue, similar to the NBA, where the salary cap is determined based on basketball-related income (BRI).

The league previously stated that it has proposed “significant increases in the guaranteed salary cap and a substantial revenue sharing without a cap that allows players’ salaries to grow as the league’s business does.”

League Statement

The WNBPA responded to this statement by saying that the proposal “glosses over something 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 last provision has not 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 association have continued to negotiate in recent weeks, with a meeting held on Wednesday.