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Standoff between WNBA, players union continues after new CBA proposal
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- Standoff between WNBA, players union continues after new CBA proposal
This story has been updated with new information and a previous statement from the WNBA
The standoff between the WNBA and its players doesn't appear close to ending with less than 10 days remaining before the league's collective bargaining agreement expires.
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The Women's National Basketball Player's Association has determined the latest CBA proposal from the WNBA won't move negotiations forward, according to a report from ESPN . The proposal reportedly included a significant raise and revenue sharing component that would allow players to earn more than $1.1 million per season, up from $249,244 in 2025.
But the players' union, according to ESPN's sources, does not believe the league's proposed CBA includes appropriate player salary growth in conjunction with the league's business over time. This concept, with a salary cap based on basketball-related income and no fixed salaries like the NBA operates, was among the players' demands when they opted out of the current CBA in October 2024.
WNBPA Executive Director Terri Carmichael-Jackson did not respond to a message from USA TODAY Sports seeking comment.
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The two sides agreed last month to a 30-day extension of the preexisting CBA through Nov. 30 and collective bargaining remains ongoing.
Under the WNBA's proposed CBA , the league's minimum salary would rise from $66,079 in 2025 to more than $220,000, with an average league salary of more than $460,000. Front Office Sports reported the $1.1 million maximum salary figure includes additional money related to potential revenue sharing targets and a base supermax contract would be $800,000 or $850,000.
The WNBA salary cap was $1,507,100 for the 2025 season and increased annually by a fixed 3% rate based on the current WNBA CBA. There was also a separate revenue sharing provision that called for direct payments to players, but the league has never hit the revenue targets over the course of the agreement.
"It is incorrect and surprising that the Players Association is claiming that the WNBA has not offered an uncapped revenue sharing model that is directly tied to the league's performance," the WNBA said in a statement last month. "The comprehensive proposals we have made to the players include a revenue sharing component that would result in the players' compensation increasing as league revenue increases – without any cap on the upside. It is frustrating and counterproductive for the union to be making misrepresentations about our proposals while also accusing the league of engaging in delay. That is simply not true."
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"While we have delivered comprehensive proposals that seek an agreement that will benefit all," the WNBA added, "the Players Association has yet to offer a viable economic proposal and has repeatedly refused to engage in any meaningful way on many of our proposal terms. We stand ready to continue negotiating in good faith and hope they will do the same so that we can finalize a mutually beneficial new CBA as quickly as possible."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: WNBA players union isn't satisfied with latest CBA proposal.
