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A possible compromise for a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) remains absent even after the much-needed in-person meeting between the WNBA and the WNBA Players Association (WNBPA) in New York on Monday.
According to Front Office Sports’ Annie Costabile, the back-and-forth went for roughly three hours. The WNBA was led by commissioner Cathy Engelbert, while the WNBPA was headed by president Nneka Ogwumike of the Seattle Storm, treasurer Brianna Turner of the Indiana Fever, and team representative Stefanie Dolson of the Washington Mystics.
Costabile reported that despite the long discussion, the WNBA still refused to respond to the WNBA’s proposal in December, which sought a maximum salary of $1.3 million, a salary cap of around $10.5 million, and other revisions to the league’s revenue-sharing model.
“The WNBA did not counter the players’ proposal at Monday’s meeting. Instead, it was communicated to the union on Monday that the league would begin working on an official response to their proposal,” wrote Costabile.
The WNBPA opted out of the existing CBA in 2024, terminating the deal that was supposed to expire in 2027. The two sides need to agree on a new one before the season starts in May. If not, several players have stated that they are willing to go on strike, placing the WNBA in a lockout.
“After the meeting today, it’s still on the table. Until we get a response from the league about proposals, there’s nothing that we’ve been able to negotiate and go back and forth with to even warrant, ‘Okay, what does a strike look like?’” said Clark, as quoted by Costabile.
The WNBA and the WNBPA are at a crucial juncture, and they need to find a suitable compromise soon if they do not want to halt the league’s continued ascent.
