{"id":51167,"date":"2025-10-14T05:03:36","date_gmt":"2025-10-14T09:03:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alofokedeportes.com\/en\/sin-categoria\/wnba-cba-negotiations-on-the-brink-lockout-in-sight\/"},"modified":"2025-10-14T05:03:36","modified_gmt":"2025-10-14T09:03:36","slug":"wnba-cba-negotiations-on-the-brink-lockout-in-sight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alofokedeportes.com\/en\/wnba\/wnba-cba-negotiations-on-the-brink-lockout-in-sight\/","title":{"rendered":"WNBA: CBA negotiations on the brink, Lockout in sight?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Key Negotiations in the WNBA: Salaries, Revenue, and the Future of Women’s Basketball<\/h2>\n\nThe 2025 season has come to an end, crowning a new champion. However, attention is now focused on collective bargaining negotiations. The current agreement expires on October 31, and both Commissioner Cathy Engelbert and the WNBA Players Association (WNBPA) are seeking a “transformative” agreement. Despite this, the parties appear to be distanced on the most important issues.\n\n

Players’ Priorities: Salaries and Revenue Sharing<\/h2>\n\nThe increase in salaries is crucial, but the main priority is revenue sharing: how it is determined and whether the percentage can grow during the agreement, instead of a fixed number. WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike emphasized the need for a revenue percentage that adjusts to the growth of the business.\n\n\n
\n\n

The players insist on obtaining a percentage of the revenue that grows with the business, which could include team revenue.<\/p>\n\nNneka Ogwumike, President of the WNBPA<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\nSatou Sabally, a player for the Phoenix Mercury, expressed that a recent proposal from the WNBA does not reflect the league’s growth from the players’ perspective. In contrast to the NBA, where salary caps are based on a percentage of basketball-related income (BRI), the current WNBA agreement sets salary caps annually, with modest increases. The initial agreement, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, established revenue targets based on the 2019 season, which made it difficult to meet the goals despite the increase in attendance in recent seasons.\n\nAccording to reports, the maximum salary is estimated to be around $850,000, with a minimum for veterans of around $300,000. Players are questioning whether they are receiving their fair share of the league’s growth, considering the increase in the value of the franchises. For example, the Las Vegas Aces, purchased for $2 million in 2021, are now valued at $310 million, while the New York Liberty, valued at $450 million, were acquired for between $10 and $14 million.\n\n\n

\n\n

There is a possible strike. I promise you we will not play until we get what we deserve.<\/p>\n\nSophie Cunningham, Indiana Fever Player<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\nThe arrival of star Caitlin Clark has boosted the league’s growth. If this growth continues, it’s understandable that players are concerned about how their share of the pie will increase.\n\nAnother important issue is prioritization. In the 2020 agreement, the players agreed to certain restrictions, but they are expected to challenge them in these negotiations. Prioritization has prevented some players from participating in the WNBA for an entire season.\n\nSatou Sabally has spoken with athletes from other basketball leagues and other sports about their own labor negotiations.\n\nThe WNBA’s broadcast rights agreement, valued at $2.2 billion and starting in 2026, is also a significant factor. Players want to ensure they get a fair share of this revenue.\n\n\n

\"\"
Las jugadoras de la WNBA parecen haber perdido la fe en Cathy Engelbert, quien fue abucheada por los aficionados durante la presentaci\u00f3n del trofeo de las Finales de la WNBA. El apoyo de Adam Silver y los due\u00f1os de la WNBA podr\u00eda determinar si sigue siendo comisionada.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n

Impact of Criticisms of Engelbert on Negotiations<\/h2>\n\nCommissioner Engelbert was booed by fans during the trophy presentation. This has raised questions about how the strained relationship between Engelbert and the players will affect negotiations. Napheesa Collier, star of the Minnesota Lynx, criticized Engelbert’s leadership, accusing her of negligence and of not adequately addressing issues such as refereeing and player compensation. Engelbert denied Collier’s statements, resulting in a breakdown in the relationship.\n\nNBA Commissioner Adam Silver acknowledged the need to repair relationships. Silver and the owners’ support is crucial for Engelbert’s permanence.\n\n\n

What Happens if an Agreement Isn’t Reached?<\/h2>\n\n\nIf an agreement isn’t reached before October 31st, it wouldn’t necessarily mean a lockout. However, a work stoppage would be unprecedented in WNBA history. Sophie Cunningham mentioned the possibility of a strike. The league is in a hurry to resolve this, considering the expansion with the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo for 2026 and the expansion to 18 teams by 2030.\n\nAlthough an out-of-season lockout would be detrimental, the biggest concern is the loss of games. Owners have more at stake now that franchise valuations have increased. Players are determined to reach an agreement on their terms.\n\n\n
\n\n

I don’t think anyone wants to see a lockout. We are not advocating for that. We just want to make sure this is a deal that gets done the right way.<\/p>\n\nNneka Ogwumike<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Key Dates to Consider<\/h2>\n\n\nIt’s important to note how the WNBA adjusts its offseason event schedule if both parties agree to an extension for collective bargaining negotiations. Here are some dates from last season that could provide insight into what’s to come:\n\n\n
  • November and December: Expansion draft and draft lottery.<\/li>
  • January to March: Second season of Unrivaled.<\/li>
  • January and February: WNBA free agency.<\/li>
  • April: WNBA Draft and training camp opening.<\/li>
  • May: Start of the WNBA season.<\/li><\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Key Negotiations in the WNBA: Salaries, Revenue, and the Future of Women’s Basketball The 2025 season has come to an end, crowning a new champion. However, attention is now focused on collective bargaining negotiations. The current agreement expires on October 31, and both Commissioner Cathy Engelbert and the WNBA Players Association (WNBPA) are seeking a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[1381,5415,1382,382],"class_list":{"0":"post-51167","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-wnba","7":"tag-cba","8":"tag-lockout","9":"tag-salaries","10":"tag-wnba"},"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alofokedeportes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51167","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alofokedeportes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alofokedeportes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alofokedeportes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alofokedeportes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51167"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alofokedeportes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51167\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alofokedeportes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51167"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alofokedeportes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51167"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alofokedeportes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51167"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}