Union offers WNBA new CBA proposal, slightly lowering revenue share numbers, AP source says
NEW YORK (AP) — The WNBA Players’ Association sent a counterproposal to the WNBA on Tuesday for a new collective bargaining agreement that included some concessions on revenue sharing and housing, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the negotiations.
The union is now asking for an average of 27.5% of the gross revenue — revenue before expenses — over the course of the CBA. That would include only 25% in the first year of the new deal. In its previous offer, the union had been asking for an average of more than 30%.
Under the proposal sent nearly two weeks ago, the league slightly increased its revenue sharing offer which would give players more than 70% of net revenue. That would be their take of the profits after expenses are paid. Those expenses would include upgraded facilities, charter flights, five-star hotels, medical services, security and arenas.
“The Players Association’s latest proposal remains unrealistic and would cause hundreds of millions of dollars of losses for our teams,” the WNBA said in a statement.
“We still need to complete two drafts and free agency before the start of training camp and are running out of time. We believe the WNBA’s proposal would result in a huge win for current players and generations to come.”
The person said that the union also offered a counter on housing to the WNBA’s previous proposal. Teams would continue to pay for housing for players in the first few years of the new agreement, but in the last two years of the deal the franchises would no longer have to pay for housing for players that are making near the maximum salary.
The league had offered housing to players for three years who were on minimum salary contracts as well as rookies in their first season. They would receive one-bedroom apartments paid for by the team. That would last for the first three years of the new CBA. After that players would have to pay for their housing.
Players who were traded during the season would have their housing taken care of as well. The two developmental players who teams would add this year would get studio apartments paid for by the team.
ESPN was the first to report the new offer.
In an interview earlier this month, union president Nneka Ogwumike discussed how important housing was to the players.
“Housing is a really, really big one. It’s a matter of safety, efficiency — being able to get from home to the practice facility to the arena,” she said. “Being able to know where all the players are. It’s something that has always been provided. To be honest, I think that it’s probably the largest benefit that we’ve had as professional athletes.”
Ogwumike said that the union has offered ways to have the cost of the housing paid for by the players share of revenue.
Over the weekend, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver had called on the WNBA and the union to increase their urgency to get a labor deal done in time for the new season to begin on schedule in early May.
“I’m encouraged there has been more back and forth over the past few weeks,” Silver said. “I think there’s been more direct engagement from players and team owners. I have not been at the table, but I’m very involved behind the scenes. I want to play whatever role would be most productive in getting a deal done. But again, I think we need to now move toward the next level sense of urgency and not lose momentum in terms of the amazing amount of progress we’ve seen in women’s basketball.”
If a new CBA isn’t agreed upon soon, it could delay the start of the 2026 season. It’s already delayed the expansion draft for Toronto and Portland.
The previous CBA was announced in the middle of January 2020, a month after it had been agreed to. It could easily take two months from when a new CBA is reached to get to the start of free agency, which was supposed to begin last month. With a massive salary raise expected in a new CBA, 80% of players in the league are free agents this offseason, which makes this the biggest opportunity for player movement in the history of the WNBA.
A delay would hurt both sides. The season is supposed to start May 8 and every game that is missed, revenue would be lost, as would be sponsorships, television money and fan support.
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