The adversarial collective bargaining negotiations between the WNBA and Women’s National Basketball Players Association during All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis didn’t erase the friction between the two sides.
In fact, many WNBA players were disappointed in the lack of progress of an in-person session conducted Thursday. The negotiations certainly didn’t narrow the gap between the two sides.
“I think (Thursday’s) meeting was good for the fact that we could be in the same room as the league and the Board of Governors,” said Liberty star Breanna Stewart, a union vice president. “But, I think, to be frank, it was a wasted opportunity.”
The dispute began when the players union announced after the 2024 season that they would opt out of the CBA on Oct. 31, 2025.
With television revenues on the rise – largely due to the presence of Caitlin Clark – the players want a larger piece of the financial pie.
“Rev sharing is truly transformational,” Los Angeles Sparks guard Kelsey Plum told reporters. “We want a piece of the entire pie. Not a piece of part of the pie. We’re a resilient group. We know the unity it takes to be able to get the outcome desired.”
Chicago Sky second-year forward Angel Reese termed the negotiations as “disrespectful.”
“Obviously, women’s basketball is skyrocketing,” Reese told reporters. “And it’s important for us to get what we want now, not just now, but for the future as well. …
“It was an eye-opener for me … hearing the language of things, not things that I was happy to hear. It was disrespectful — the proposal that we were sent back.”
The deadline to reach a new agreement is just 3 1/2 months away.
“We’re on a time crunch. No one wants a lockout,” said Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier, another vice president of the WNBPA. “But at the end of the day, we have to stand firm, and we’re not going to be moved on certain topics. So hopefully the league comes back quickly so that we can get have more dialogue, more conversations and can get the ball rolling.”
Collier and Stewart were co-founders of Unrivaled, a 3-on-3 league that debuted last offseason. The fact that both players are part of the WNBPA negotiating party while having significant financial investments in a rival league would appear to be a conflict of interest, though Collier has fought back against that narrative.
That also is part of the discussions as the WNBA wants its league to be prioritized among the players, some of whom play overseas. Players point out that Unrivaled’s pay scale was better for most players than what they receive in WNBA salary.
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert described the negotiations as “very constructive dialogue.” Engelbert said she remains optimistic that a deal with get done.
–Field Level Media
