Additional Coverage:
- WNBA commissioner says progress made in collective bargaining talks after another marathon session (nbcsports.com)
WNBA, Players Union Push for Historic CBA Deal Amid Marathon Negotiations
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced significant progress in securing a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), following a grueling, 14-hour negotiation session that stretched from Sunday afternoon into early Monday morning. Both the league and the players’ union are demonstrating an unwavering commitment to finalize a deal, with talks resuming later today for a seventh consecutive day.
“We’re working as hard as we can to get it done as quickly as possible,” Engelbert stated, acknowledging the complexity and scope of the agreement. “This is a big, big league and we want to do everything we can for the players.
So, we’re going to keep making progress.” She expressed confidence that the impending deal would be “historic.”
The intensive negotiations have seen both sides engage in face-to-face discussions for over 72 hours since in-person sessions began last Tuesday. Union executive council members Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier, and Alysha Clark departed the late-night session around 2 a.m., with Nneka Ogwumike and other union leadership following an hour later.
Jen Rizzotti, President of the Connecticut Sun, commended the dedication of both parties. “The fact that they just don’t want to stop, both sides, it’s not just the league side, it’s even the union,” Rizzotti observed.
“They want to get it done. I think it’s admirable to know that they’re paying attention to the fact that this is crucial and time is of the essence and we need to have a season.”
The primary sticking points in the negotiations revolve around revenue sharing and player housing. Ogwumike, the union’s president, emphasized the importance of resolving these issues. “It’s very important for us to nail those two things down, which is I think the biggest thing on the agenda today,” she said on Saturday.
Discrepancies in revenue sharing proposals have centered on the definition of revenue itself. The league’s offers have focused on net revenue (revenue after expenses), while the union has advocated for a share of gross revenue (revenue before expenses).
Initially, the union sought 40% of gross revenue, later adjusting to 26% before the current in-person sessions. The league had previously offered players over 70% of net revenue.
Housing, a long-standing benefit for WNBA players, has also emerged as a critical point of contention. “Housing is big, you know, and housing is really big,” Ogwumike stressed. “And I think that perhaps people understanding this negotiation or learning about it has really shown how meaningful something like a housing benefit is, especially for the women in the W.”
Historically, WNBA teams have covered player housing costs. The league’s new CBA proposal aims to amend this provision. Ogwumike explained the transition: “We’re trying to enter into this transitional space where we are now making enough money toward to be able to take care of that, but we’re not quite at the point where we can eliminate it outright.”
Sources familiar with the negotiations, who requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the discussions, revealed recent proposals. Prior to Tuesday’s talks, the union had proposed that teams continue to cover housing for players in the initial years of the new agreement, gradually phasing out this benefit for maximum-salary players in the final two years.
Conversely, the league proposed covering housing for all players in the upcoming season, then transitioning to only covering housing for rookies and minimum-salary players. Additionally, the league would cover housing for the two developmental players being added to teams for the entire duration of the CBA.
The timely resolution of these key issues is crucial for the WNBA season to commence as scheduled on May 8. However, the clock is ticking.
Engelbert could not confirm whether training camp, slated for April 19, would be moved if a deal is not reached soon. “I wish I knew the answer to that.
I do not know the answer to that,” Engelbert admitted, adding, “But you see us here at three in the morning, four in the morning, at five in the morning. So that gives an indication that both sides are motivated at that time.”
The league’s first two preseason games are set for April 25, featuring Caitlin Clark and Indiana visiting New York, and Seattle playing Golden State. Before these games, significant league events remain, including an expansion draft for Portland and Toronto, free agency for 80% of the league, and the college draft.