WNBA Collective Bargaining Discussions Resume
On Monday, the WNBA will rekindle its collective bargaining discussions with the players’ union in New York for the first time in several weeks. Kelsey Plum, who serves as the vice president of the players’ union, highlighted this upcoming meeting while participating in a 3-on-3 league game in Philadelphia, emphasizing the importance of the negotiations.
“This meeting is significant; we all recognize the stakes involved,” Plum remarked.
She expressed optimism about the discussions, aiming to maintain a constructive attitude.
Key Participants in the Negotiations
Joining Plum will be fellow executive council members, Nneka Ogwumike and Napheesa Collier, alongside union leaders. The league’s negotiating team will include WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, members of the labor relations committee, as well as several team owners, as confirmed by an anonymous source familiar with the discussions.
This source disclosed that the league had been pushing for this meeting for several weeks, with the players’ union agreeing to it on Thursday. Recent interactions between union leadership and players further reflect the urgency surrounding the stalled negotiations, especially following the union’s proposal sent during the Christmas period, which suggested a significant 30% share of gross revenues for players. However, insiders suggest that the league perceived this proposal as not markedly different from a previous one.
Current Offers and Future Projections
Earlier last month, the current player base was presented with an offer that would elevate the maximum base salary to $1 million by 2026, possibly increasing to $1.3 million through revenue-sharing mechanisms. This marks a significant increase from the current maximum of $249,000, with projections indicating potential earnings nearing $2 million over the lifespan of the new agreement.
Impact of Negotiation Delays
Negotiations have entered a “status quo” phase following the expiration of the latest CBA extension on January 9, which resulted in a temporary halt to free agency activities. If the two parties can’t reach an agreement promptly, it may hinder the commencement of the 2026 season and has already postponed the expansion draft for Toronto and Portland.
Despite these challenges, the league has announced that the regular season is scheduled to kick off on May 8. The last collective bargaining agreement was finalized in January 2020, so delays in the negotiation process may extend the timeline for upcoming player contracts and free agency activities, initially slated to begin this Sunday.
