Negotiations for a brand new WNBA collective bargaining settlement stay ongoing as the subsequent deadline for a brand new deal attracts close to.
League officers and representatives from the Girls’s Nationwide Basketball Gamers Affiliation have been scheduled to satisfy via the weekend forward of Sunday’s 11:59 p.m. Japanese deadline.
Whether or not a possible work stoppage may occur stays unsure, although gamers stated all through the summer season that they have been getting ready for such a state of affairs.
If a deal isn’t reached by the end-of-the-month deadline, it doesn’t essentially imply the league will shut down.
The 2 sides can agree to a different extension, or the league can function establishment as talks stay ongoing.
The present CBA was set to run out on the finish of final month, although either side agreed to a 30-day extension — basically transferring the deadline to the top of November.
Up to date proposals from all sides have been exchanged, however an settlement has but to be reached.
The latest identified proposal from the league included a max wage of greater than $1.1 million — a determine that represents the potential earnings primarily based on a mix of gamers’ base wage and income sharing, in keeping with a number of studies.
Entrance Workplace Sports activities additionally reported this month the supermax base wage would nonetheless be within the ballpark of $800,000 to $850,000.
Underneath that identified proposal, the brand new league minimal could be greater than $220,000 with a mean of greater than $460,000.
That’s nonetheless clearly a big enhance from the present CBA because the league’s present supermax is $249,244 and the veteran minimal is $78,831.
However the gamers might argue the rise just isn’t equal to the league’s booming valuation, with some franchises being valued at north of $400 million.
One of many largest sticking factors in negotiations has centered on income sharing.
The WNBA has stated it’s proposed an “uncapped” income sharing mannequin.
However the union is pushing for a mannequin the place gamers’ salaries are decided by income.
It’s an concept that’s just like the NBA’s income sharing mannequin through which wage cap is set by the league’s basketball-related revenue.
Gamers are additionally pursuing improved advantages on this spherical of CBA negotiations.
In addition they need roster enlargement, a softer wage cap and to codify constitution journey, which was authorized by the league in 2024 however not formally written into the present CBA.
The WNBA has stated quite a few occasions that this will probably be a “transformational” deal, however the two sides have totally different views on what that may appear to be.
Whereas the WNBA has by no means canceled video games as a result of labor disputes, it’s common for negotiations to transcend a present deal’s deadline.
Over the past CBA cycle, the league and WNBPA didn’t ratify a deal till January 2020.
However the league’s offseason occasions — together with two enlargement drafts, free company and faculty draft — will probably be placed on maintain till a brand new CBA is finalized.
The Golden State Valkyries’ enlargement draft happened Dec. 6, 2024.
Free company begins in late January, whereas the school draft isn’t till April.
