The WNBA has presented a new bargaining agreement proposal to the players association that includes revenue share and a maximum salary of $1.1 million, the Associated Press and ESPN reported. If settled, one of the main demands from the players party will have been met.
The new offer was introduced during a negotiation meeting this week, a source familiar with the situation told the Associated Press. They also added that league minimum would go over $220,000 with an average of more than $460,000.
Those numbers are significantly higher than the salaries determined in the current CBA, in which the minimum compensation was $66,079 and the maximum $249,244 this past season. The updated terms would take effect in the first year of the deal and benefit over 180 players immediately.
A Rough Patch To A WNBA CBA Deal
According to AP sources, the latest proposal is designed to bring negotiations to a quick conclusion.
League and WNBPA have been clashing for months over the CBA negotiations, with several players, unions and even politicians speaking up in support of the athletes. More recently, Napheesa Collier’s public bash of commissioner Cathy Engelbert caused a ripple effect as people within the industry confirmed the fractured relationship between leadership and players.
“I’ve only had a few private conversations with Cathy. To me, her private conversations that she’s had with players, or her lack of the conversations, have led to some rocky relationship status with the players,” Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon said to CNBC. “When the players speak, people need to sit up and listen. I think she’s sitting up and listening now. I hope she would have done it earlier. I don’t know if [Engelbert] can ever, kind of, retract and get that traction back from those conversations.
Players opted out of the current CBA in Oct. 2024, one day after the conclusion of the season as the New York Liberty claimed their first championship. At the time, the WNBPA listed in a press release its priorities for the negotiation cycle, with revenue share at the top of the ticket.
According to Bloomberg, players make less than 10% of total league revenue, which includes ticket and merchandising sales as well as sponsorship deals. The NBA, on the other hand, has a guaranteed 50 to 51 percent share per their CBA, allowing for much higher salaries and benefits.
Engelbert and WNBA front office have expressed concern over a revenue share model stating that it could hurt the business’ long-term stability, while the other side claims historical lack of transparency has not allowed them to properly assess the financial health of the league to make demands.
This is the first time reports show a positive feedback to a proposal from the WNBA, which signals to the potential of negotiations concluding before the deadline of Nov. 31 to prevent a lockout.