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While the WNBA initially advertised the generous aspects of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) proposals that were presented to the WNBPA before the expiration of the initial, extended 30-day bargaining window, the more draconian details of the league’s deals have begun to emerge.
A maximum player salary of $1 million before incentives, an average player salary of $500,000 and a minimum player salary of more than $250,000, plus a 2026 salary cap of $5 million, have been balanced by an earlier training camp start date and the elimination of team housing, as first reported by Front Office Sports’ Annie Costabile.
Training camps could start as early as mid-March, a date that would seem to invite a cascade of complications.
A mid-March start would coincide with the NCAA Tournament, which then raises questions about the logistics of the WNBA Draft and the integration of rookies into the league.
The advanced start also seems intentionally designed to conflict with the various offseason leagues in which players participate, headlined by Unrivaled, Project B and EuroLeague Women. Unrivaled ends in early March, giving players almost no time off before the theoretical start of WNBA training camps. Project B’s proposed season would extend into April. EuroLeague Women’s playoffs also are traditionally held in April.
If prioritization remains in effect in the new CBA, a stipulation that requires players to be present for the beginning of training camp, with suspension standing as a possible punishment, a majority of players, including many stars, would find themselves in the bind. It seems the WNBA is presenting players with the fair compensation that they have been demanding, but only if they solely commit to playing in the WNBA.
The elimination of team housing would also undercut players’ pay increase, one borne more significantly by players on minimum or temporary contracts. As FOS explained:
Under the current CBA, players have multiple options during the regular season and the playoffs for housing. Players can either stay in housing provided by the team or receive a monthly stipend, which varies by city; players with children under the age of 13 receive a two-bedroom unit. The monthly stipend for players who opt not to live in team-provided housing ranges between $1,177 in Las Vegas to $2,647 in New York.
The league is mandated under the current CBA to ‘use reasonable efforts to secure 30 job opportunities’ during the offseason, whether with sponsors or teams in leagues other than the WNBA. These employers are permitted to provide offseason housing to players as part of their employment terms. Players signed to team and league marketing agreements are also eligible to receive housing assistance in the offseason.
Yes, establishing a new collective bargaining agreement requires bargaining. It is understandable and expected that the league, in agreeing to higher salaries for players, would demand that players, in return, cede to some of their preferences. Yet, these don’t seem like real preferences. They come across as petty asks.
Rather than trying to grow the game, something facilitated by supporting players’ opportunities to compete in other the leagues, the WNBA is attempting exercise exclusivity and project its power over players.
