“Significant gaps” in WNBA CBA negotiations reveal points of contention

“Significant gaps” remain between what the WNBA’s leadership is pushing for during CBA negotiations and what the players are demanding, The Athletic reported Wednesday. Though elements of the latest proposals from both parties appear to indicate there’s a path toward meeting in the middle, what’s missing from each proposal is worth examining.

The WNBA offered its latest proposal to the players last week, and the union returned with their own proposal on Tuesday, the outlet noted. Both sides are set to meet again this week.

One of the biggest snags appears to be the language that explains how revenue sharing would work moving forward. The current CBA, which was signed in January 2020, dictates that players receive a percentage of any revenue that exceeds a specific amount. Of that excess, 30% is kept by the league, and the remaining 70% is split between the league and the players. The players have never seen any additional money from this arrangement, because it was set up in 2020 just before the pandemic, and the WNBA struggled financially througout the surge in COVID-19.

The league reportedly offered a new model that dictates that players will receive 50% of the revenue metric when the league processes it’s end-of-year review, The Athletic also explained. The league has also continued to propose a salary cap.

Players are hesitant to sign the deal in part because it’s not clear what “segment of league revenue that will be shareable with the players” and what percentage is doled out, but there are other elements of the league’s proposal that are raising eyebrows, too.

The WNBA wants to make the draft combine mandatory

The WNBA wants to hold a draft combine in the offseason, and wants to require players to participate if they want to be eligible for the draft. If rookies opt not to participate, their salaries would be cut in half. The model is similar to what has existed in the NBA since 2023.

Players want to shorten rookie contracts

The players have also pushed to shorten the length of a rookie contract, which currently keeps a player on a team for four years and includes a team option on that last season. The union would like to shorten the rookie contract to three years, which would give the younger players the ability to take advantage of free agency earlier in their careers. According to The Athletic, the league has not offered any feedback on this part of the players’ proposal.