Players’ Association Awaits League Response
The ball is now in the players’ association’s court. On Friday, the WNBA presented a counterproposal regarding a new collective bargaining agreement to the National Women’s Basketball Players Association (WNBPA), as confirmed by officials.
The WNBPA has been waiting for a formal response since they submitted their proposal on Christmas morning. Several executive committee members, including WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike, met in person with league officials on Monday to seek resolution on the stalled negotiations.
Rather than directly responding to the WNBPA’s six-week-old proposal, the WNBA opted to share details on benefits and improvements already agreed upon for the upcoming contract.
Among the proposed changes is a supermax base salary of $1.1 million in 2026, which potentially could increase to $1.8 million by 2030. The average base salary for next season is projected to rise from around $102,000 in 2025 to $465,000.
Additional enhancements from the league include expanded guaranteed contracts, two developmental player slots per team, boosted performance bonuses, and salary cap exceptions for pregnant players or those with post-season injuries.
Despite these advancements, the primary sticking point in discussions revolves around revenue sharing. Players are seeking approximately 30 percent of total revenue and a $10.5 million salary cap hit. The league, on the other hand, previously proposed a 70% net revenue share, equating to about 15% of total revenues, and a $5 million salary cap. It’s unclear if recent negotiations have modified these figures.
A source had indicated that the WNBA felt the union’s proposal was “essentially unchanged” from prior submissions, which is why they hadn’t responded. However, it’s reported that this critique wasn’t communicated directly to the WNBPA prior to the recent meeting.
The start of the 2026 season is slated for May 8th, and both parties believe there’s still ample time. If talks continue to stall past this month, a delay in the season’s start seems unavoidable. Key events like the expansion draft, free agency, and the college draft hinge on the approval of the CBA.
Ogwumike shared her thoughts with the Associated Press, stating that a deal could be reached swiftly if both sides could agree on a revenue-sharing model. “We emphasized that if we succeed in this, everything else can be done,” she mentioned.
