WNBA and Players’ Association Negotiations
The WNBA and its players’ association are in the midst of trying to finalize a new collective bargaining agreement. The previous agreement expired on January 9, and we’ve now entered a new stage of negotiations. The extension period has ended, leading us into what’s known as “status quo.” Essentially, things remain unchanged for now. The key difference is that either party can initiate a work stoppage if they choose to.
From what we’ve discussed, it seems more likely that the players might strike rather than the league deciding on a lockout. A lockout doesn’t really seem practical—it could just complicate matters further. Interestingly, there haven’t been any serious indications from the players about a strike yet, so for the time being, it’s a waiting game… who knows how long that will last?
If things were business as usual, WNBA free agency would have kicked off last Sunday. This was supposed to be the first day teams could make qualifying offers to free agents. Technically, this could have happened without a new CBA in place, but the players probably wouldn’t have accepted any offers, let alone signed anything. As the expiration date approached, there was even some discussion about possibly suspending free agency, though the league followed the necessary protocols and alerted teams about the situation.
By the weekend’s end, it appeared that both sides had come to an agreement to halt free agency until a new deal is reached. This seems reasonable, especially since many trades right now involve teams and restricted free agents, with players looking to move past team-led negotiations for the new CBA. Teams now have the ability to “core” players, which gives them more negotiating power and control over those players. It seems that the players are also looking for greater freedom in their upcoming contracts.
This push for autonomy isn’t unique. For instance, the NWSL’s latest CBA has even eliminated the draft, letting eligible players directly enter free agency. It’s clear that players want more say over where they end up playing.
Given all this, how long it takes to finalize the new WNBA CBA will start impacting the WNBA season. The league can’t proceed with free agency without a new agreement, so putting a pause on things feels appropriate, but it definitely doesn’t simplify the situation. We’re staring down a compressed WNBA offseason involving the expansion draft, a significant portion of the league as free agents, and the WNBA Draft. Plus, there’s the potential for an earlier training camp and many players vying for spots in the FIBA World Cup qualifying tournament in mid-March.
Interestingly, we’re also approaching a significant milestone. The last agreement was secured on January 14, 2020. So we’re really in uncharted territory regarding how long it might take both sides to come to an agreement this time around. It’s important to note that 2020 had its own unique challenges, with the WNBA season delayed until late summer because of the pandemic, which made the timing less of an issue then. But this year could be quite different.
Every aspect of the offseason is, in itself, unprecedented, even if it all goes according to plan. We’re looking at a two-team expansion draft involving Toronto and Portland, a large free agent market, and a 15-team WNBA Draft with a wealth of top talent. When you try to fit all of this into a limited time frame… well, it could get pretty chaotic.
