WNBA Commissioner Kathy Engelbert has shown several times that the new collective bargaining agreement will become “transformative.”
But Engelbert remained a mother when asked Monday about what would be a “fair” deal, especially in the league’s eyes.
The Women’s National Basketball Players Association was very clear about the top priorities of the new contract as the current collective bargaining agreement expires after the 2025 season.
Players are fighting for higher wages, new economic models and improved profits.
However, Engelbert handed the opportunity to say where the league stands.
“We are not going to negotiate in the media. We are going to negotiate with players across the negotiation table. So we will not comment on the details of what we have built a new economic model. “Yes, we want to do fair deals for everyone, but we need to be within the scope of a sustainable economic model that lasts for 10 years.”
Engelbert said the WNBA coughed more than $20 million to supply charter flights to all teams for the first time this season.
The league has concluded a record season with fan engagement and television viewership. But Engelbert said growth needs to continue.
“We’ve had great growth over the years, but we need to keep making sure we can fund what our players are looking for. “We all want to make more money from our players. That happens. We’re transformative, but again, we’re not too far from negotiations to report details, so there’s nothing to report accurately.”
Engelbert said negotiations remained ongoing. She says the players’ union “recently” sent proposals to the league, and the two sides plan to meet at the negotiation table in the near future.
“We’re very optimistic about getting something done,” Engelbert said.
Engelbert addressed several other hot button topics during the 22-minute availability on Monday night.
Details of Paige Bueckers’ unparalleled contract
On the eve of the WNBA Draft, Top Pick Bueckers signed an unparalleled three-year contract that paid her more in her first year than her entire rookie contract with the WNBA.
The Bueckers are expected to pay $78,831 for her first WNBA season and $348,198 between the four seasons.
It’s not the news that Bueckers have signed an unparalleled multi-year deal, but rather the 10-week startup leagues are more spectacularly compensated than the WNBA, which has been around for nearly 30 years.
Engelbert didn’t deal with Bookers’ pay, especially when asked. She said she was “really proud” of what Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart did with unparalleled things and even attended several games in February to support the league.
“We have [the] It turns out to be much easier to run 30 in one place, as you’re over 190 players who have to end up with 16 teams and need to be cared for. …I don’t think there’s one sporting event today where you won’t see ad spots with WNBA players in it. Whether it’s a state farm or Nike, I think it’s pretty cool.
“We are excited about the momentum we support and move away from the NCAA season, but we are certainly excited about the audience we have and the momentum we have, and the investments that the capital and owners are making that are also featured in our league.”
About expansion
Engelbert said the WNBA is “still on track” to expand to 16 franchises by 2028.
Engelbert had no details about the expansion or its timeline. She said the WNBA is still assessing potential markets with the help of outside bankers.
“Frankly, we just evaluate whether it’s multiple things,” Engelbert said. “So we need to put it all together. We don’t want to rate the quality of a game that’s already at 16. We’re adding 33% roster spots by adding 48 roster spots to 144 leagues, so we’re in the process of evaluating all of that.”
The WNBA will add the Golden State Valkyries to its 13th franchise this season, with Portland and Toronto set to join the league in 2026.
Potential destinations for the league’s 16th franchise include Denver, Philadelphia, Cleveland and Nashville.
Dealing with player abuse
Engelbert said the league has stepped up its efforts this offseason to combat hatred directed at players and league officials after several notable incidents last season that players felt unsafe.
Engelbert said the WNBA is adopting four extension approaches to combat social media surveillance, implementing standards of conduct for fans in the arena, improving security measures and fighting hatred that keeps mental health clinicians on the market accessible to players.
Engelbert also said the WNBA has a task force that will continue to monitor issues.
“There’s no space for hatred,” Engelbert said. Engelbert said advances in AI will help the league deal with cyberbullying. “I think there is a continuous drainage on all of us, our players, our staff, our team staff. We continue to be accountable for those who enter things on social media, and our players are digitally native.
