WNBA Proposal Includes Salary Increase and Revenue Sharing
The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) has presented a new collective bargaining proposal that promises significant changes for the players, according to sources close to the negotiations. This proposal includes a revenue sharing and a considerable increase in salaries. The proposal, which was discussed in recent meetings, contemplates a maximum salary exceeding 1.1 million dollars available for multiple players per team, with an annual increase. In addition, the league’s minimum salary would exceed 220,000 dollars, with an average of more than 460,000 dollars. These numbers 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 (CBA) expired on October 31, but the WNBA and the players’ union agreed to extend negotiations until November 30, allowing more time to negotiate an agreement that could be revolutionary for players in terms of salary. The league’s proposal, according to people familiar with the plan, is a very lucrative package that provides substantial increases over previous years and is designed to bring the negotiations to a quick conclusion.The players exercised their right to opt out of renewing the CBA last year in the hopes of obtaining, among other things, a greater revenue share, higher salaries, better benefits, and a more flexible salary cap. When the last CBA expired in 2019, both sides agreed to a 60-day extension, with a CBA finally ratified in January 2020.
