WNBA only further proved what Nneka Ogwumike has been saying all along

Urgency is one word that has defined the CBA discussions lately. During the NBA All-Star weekend, Adam Silver said that both sides needed to reach a new level of urgency. Shortly after that, WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike said she was confused by his comments because the players had always been operating with the necessary sense of urgency, while the league let weeks pass by without even responding to the players’ proposal and wasn’t willing to make any concessions that could move the negotiations forward.

Now, the WNBA has informed the players union that a new deal had to be reached by March 10 to avoid a delayed season. 

What the league hasn’t done is make notable concessions in the most important area: revenue sharing. The players asked for 27.5% of the gross revenue in their latest proposal, which the WNBA shut down as “unrealistic.” It then offered 70% of net revenue, which comes out to less than 15% of gross revenue. 

By publicly setting a deadline, the league is putting pressure on the WNBPA instead of taking meaningful steps to push the negotiations forward—once again. The deadline creates the sense that the WNBA is operating with the necessary urgency, but only on the surface. Moreover, the fact that the league created the deadline, informing the players that they were risking a delay if they didn’t get a deal done by then, also creates the illusion that the players will be responsible for any further complications.

The two sides agree on many things, just not the most important one

Considering both sides’ proposals, it’s obvious that everyone agrees on one thing: players deserve to be paid more. After a couple of record-setting seasons, team owners have no way of avoiding paying their players more. 

The league has also made concessions when it comes to housing. Its latest proposal included housing for players who make the minimum salary, rookies, and developmental players for the 2027 and 2028 seasons. The addition of developmental roster spots is also a big win for players. The limited roster spots in the WNBA have long been a source of frustration for players and fans alike. Allowing teams to sign players to developmental contracts creates more opportunities for young players and will make it easier for teams to deal with injuries.

The WNBA and WNBPA have also found common ground on the topic of retirement and team staffing and minimum facility requirements. 

The one issue that is standing between us and a new deal is revenue shares. The two sides just have fundamentally different ideas of how much revenue the league can afford to share with its players. The WNBA persistently claims that the players’ demands would cause millions of dollars in losses. The players don’t believe that to be true.