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The WNBA’s players’ union took the next step in their Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) negotiations on Thursday, as the Jan. 9 deadline is just three weeks away. In a historic vote — with 93% turnout — the WNBPA voted 98% in favor of authorizing a strike. Now, this does not mean they will immediately enter a strike; instead, this was just a vote to approve the union’s leadership to initiate a strike if it comes to that. Still, it is a notable escalation that would seem to indicate another extension is unlikely.
The WNBA and WNBPA are still under contract for now, having agreed to a second CBA extension on Nov. 30 that expires on Jan. 9. There cannot be a work stoppage while they are still under contract, but under extension rules, either side can cancel the current extension with 48 hours’ notice. For now, the sides will continue negotiating until Jan. 9, when they can either come to terms on a new deal, agree on another extension, or let the current contract expire.
If no new deal or extension is negotiated by Jan. 9, the contract then goes into “status quo” mode, where the sides can continue to negotiate, BUT can also initiate a work stoppage (strike for the players, lockout for the league). Thursday’s voting news just means that if it does get to this point, the WNBPA leadership has the players’ support to initiate a strike.
A work stoppage would mean the WNBA’s expansion draft, free agency, and upcoming season would be put on hold. The players would no longer engage in any sort of team activities, and they would not be able to make use of their teams’ practice facilities. It would be a drastic move, but the players have been vocal about not being afraid to make it, and are holding strong as a united front. It would be the first time the WNBA has ever experienced a work stoppage as a league.
WNBPA Vice President Kelsey Plum told the media at Team USA’s camp last week that it is “a little bit disheartening, just the frustration in the negotiation and how far away we are.”
After the vote to authorize a strike, should it get to that point, the WNBPA released the following statement:
In response, the WNBA issued their own statement, highlighting the league’s “disagreement” with the state of negotiations:
“We are aware that the players have voted to authorize the WNBPA Executive Committee to call a strike if the Executive Committee decides to take that step in the future. While we acknowledge the players’ right to authorize a future work stoppage, we strongly disagree with the WNBPA’s characterization of the current state of negotiations, which fundamentally misrepresents the ongoing discussions taking place at the bargaining table. It is difficult to understand claims that the league is resistant to change, particularly given that we are proposing numerous CBA modifications including significant immediate salary increases and a new uncapped revenue-sharing model that would ensure continued salary growth tied to revenue growth.
“The league remains steadfast in its commitment to reaching an agreement as soon as possible and delivering a 30th season for the players, fans, teams, and partners. We have negotiated in good faith and with urgency, and remain focused on finalizing a new collective bargaining agreement that not only meaningfully enhances player pay, benefits, and experience, but also does so in a way that ensures the long-term growth of the game and the league’s capacity to serve the next generation of WNBA players.”
Clearly, if there is a dispute only over how negotiations have been going, there is probably even more disagreement when it comes to the negotiation points themselves.
What needs to happen to avoid a strike situation? Well, the players have several negotiation points that they have said they are not going to let up on. The biggest is salary and pay structure, including a robust revenue-sharing program, which includes the players getting a 30% share of the WNBA’s revenue, per the latest reporting from The Athletic. Current proposals also reportedly have max salaries surpassing the $1 million mark.
There are also other negotiating points, like the length of the regular season, expanding rosters to have more players on each team, and a development program for teams to grow in-house talent. There are also reports of the players wanting to solidify league-wide standards on practice facilities as well as things like training staff requirements for teams, and more. While salary is the biggest talking point, and probably the one the players are least likely to negotiate down, there are several other big-ticket items for debate here. Whenever this deal does happen, it will be monumental in its effects on the way WNBA players are paid, but also in the way they will be treated on and off the court.
The last thing that should happen now is for the momentum of the WNBA to be slowed down, and an extended work stoppage that eats into the WNBA’s season does just that. The growth the WNBA has seen in ticket sales, merchandise sales, viewership, and overall hype over the past five years has been culture-shifting. That’s all happened because of the product that the players are key in creating. None of this growth happens without the players, and they know this. It’s why they hold an incredible amount of leverage in these negotiations, and why they are confident in their decisions to hold strong on certain proposals.
None of these negotiation points are incredibly egregious, either, leading fans to be stuck in a cycle of confusion as to why the WNBA is so hesitant to give the players what they want. Think about revenue-sharing, for example — the current 30% proposal is still 20% lower than what the NBA players get as part of their CBA. Maximum salaries hitting about $1.1 million don’t even bring them up to the NBA veteran’s minimum of $1.16 million. WNBA aren’t anything that is beyond the current scope of the growth they are experiencing, and they deserve what they want.
These are the same players who have ushered the WNBA into an era that has transcended what women’s sports were previously capable of and truly changed the culture around women’s basketball. They have put their bodies on the line in order to deliver a truly enjoyable product for fans, often playing year-round as well, so that they can make enough income to continue their careers. They did all of this without adequate training facilities, training staff, and while flying commercial for the first 25-ish years of the league’s existence. All of the growth the WNBA experienced happened before most of these newer perks were established, while players were barely being treated like professionals. The players aren’t being unreasonable, and they aren’t stupid; they have seen expansion fees and team sales prices skyrocket, and now they want a piece of the pie that they’ve cooked.
If the WNBA is truly eager to get a 30th season rolling, fully onboard the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo, and avoid a strike, they need to accept that there are certain things the players are not budging on. Gone are the days when the league held the leverage, and players were “just happy to be there.”
For a lot of players, the WNBA is not even their biggest source of income, so sitting out for a season potentially doesn’t hurt their bottom line much. The players have proved that they can survive in the sports business world by starting their own leagues like Unrivaled and signing on to be part owners of Project B. Those other leagues, plus things like endorsement deals, broadcasting jobs, and other jobs they do in the offseason, bring in enough money for players to get by even if a lockout does come to pass, and take time to fight for what they’ve earned.
In reality, it’s the league that needs to work hard to keep top talent on their side. And if they haven’t realized that yet, maybe today will help them get the message.
