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The WNBA and the players’ union have extended Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) negotiations by another 40 days, which currently sets a deadine of January 9. The latest deal from the WNBA has not been well received by players, and it has also shed light on issues of concern that aren’t related to salaries and revenue sharing.
The league offered to up salaries for the athletes in the WNBA (base salaries would begin at $225,000 a year, and average salaries would be $500,000), but that’s contingent on players losing a few other perks. One of those is the housing stipend that’s been offered by teams since the first CBA was signed and agreed to in 1999, and the topic has interested a lot of fans.
Under the terms of the current CBA, which was signed in January 2020, teams provide either a one-bedroom apartment or a housing stipend to the athletes on their rosters. The stipends can very team by team, and players who have children under 13 living with them on either a full-time or part-time basis (excluding visitation arrangements) are granted a two-bedroom apartment.
As reported by ESPN, the minimum housing stipend in the WNBA is $1,177, which is paid by the Las Vegas Aces, and the highest stipend is $2,647, which is paid by the New York Liberty. If players want to opt for larger or more elaborate housing than what’s provided by the league, they typically pay their team the difference. Players who were injured during the season and/or players who are hired to market the team or league during the offseason can stay in their housing after the season has concluded.
ESPN also noted that most players in the league opt to use the league housing instead of the stipend, which makes the league’s offer all the more troubling for those players.
Why the WNBA wants to get rid of team housing
The move away from team housing isn’t dissimilar to what already exists in the NBA and, and it’s likely the league’s leadership also feels that players will be more prepared to pay for their own housing if their salaries have increased.
But players don’t seem too pleased with the news. One told ESPN that housing is a “top five” concern for the union, and taking away housing will just “over complicate” the process. The players have also proposed that the league include housing in their benefits package, which would be deducated from their share of revenue.
The concern about housing is a reminder that these negotiations are about a lot more than just what players get paid, and that there is more on the line than meets the eye. Many players support their families, and having league-provided housing helps to lighten that load. Housing is also a concern for international players, many of whom don’t have a lot of time to find a place to live between their season overseas and their season in the WNBA.
