The negotiations between the WNBA and the WNBPA are ongoing, and the latest round of updates reveals that the two sides are working through several points of emphasis.
The WNBA offered revenue sharing at 15% on Dec. 3, The Athletic reported. SBJ reported that the player’s association countered with 30%, signaling that the two sides continue to spar over proposed revenue-sharing percentage. In the latest reporting from The Athletic, the outlet said the union proposed 33% revenue sharing and it was rejected by the league. The outlet also provided a peek behind the curtain regarding additional details behind the proposal.
According to The Athletic, with the latest proposal from the players’ association, the salary cap would be calculated by subtracting the cost of various player benefits (health insurance costs, house, local transportation costs, etc.) from the player’s share of the previous season’s total revenue and dividing that number by the number of teams in the league. The WNBPA is also proposing mandatory audits at the team and league levels to ensure accuracy and transparency.
“The WNBA has provided the union with extensive financial and other business information, including detailed league and team financial statements. Any asserted lack of financial transparency is simply untrue,” the league said in a statement provided to USA TODAY Sports.
In the proposed agreement, players would receive just under 30% of the previous season’s gross revenue, including a one-time adjustment that reflects the league’s $2.2. billion media rights deal that begins in 2026. In each season after, the players’ share of total league and team revenue would reportedly increase by one percent. Ultimately, the proposal seeks to ensure WNBA players would earn as much as 34% of the previous season’s gross revenue by the end of last year in the CBA agreement.
What other points are the WNBA and the WNBPA debating?
The WNBA and WNBPA are still working through several other key topics.
Roster sizes: The WNBPA has requested teams carry a mandatory 12-player roster. (Most teams currently hover around the required minimum of 11 players and rarely carry 12.) The union is also asking for teams to sign two additional developmental players, who would receive a stipend and appear in up to 10 games a season prior to signing a rest-of-season contract.
Number of games in a season: The union is seeking an increase in games from 44 to 48, while the league grows from 15 to 17 teams. The number would potentially grow to 50 games should the league hit 18 teams.
Salary exceptions: The players’ association has proposed that salary exemptions should be added to the next CBA agreement. Some of the proposed exemptions would allow for a ‘performance-based softening,’ which includes additional compensation for high-performing players on rookie contracts.