Backed by what they said was their largest attendance ever for collective bargaining negotiations, WNBA players met with the league on Thursday, with the sides far apart in discussions for a new deal.
All-Stars Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese were among about 40 players who took part in the first face-to-face meeting featuring players since December. The two sides met for a couple of hours.
“I’m encouraged, you know, I’m just so inspired by the amount of players that showed up, the engagement that was there,” Women’s National Basketball Players Association President Nneka Ogwumike said.
“That’s really what it’s all about. Because the more that happens, the more that we’re going to be able to get things done. I think today we’re going to be able to use this conversation to start rolling the ball on things,” she added.
Players opted out of the current CBA last October and are seeking a better revenue-sharing model, increased salaries, improved benefits, and a softer salary cap.
“I was really eager to know and understand what was going on. So I’m very aware of what’s going on right now. We won’t stop until we got what we want,” Reese said.
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The sides are far apart in preliminary discussions and agreed to another meeting.
“I don’t know that I’m going to say progress, but we had a spirited conversation,” said Terri Carmichael Jackson, the executive director of the WNBPA.
If a deal isn’t done by the end of October, some players, including Napheesa Collier and Reese, have mentioned the potential of a walkout, which could present some immediate problems. The league has two new teams in Portland and Toronto starting next season and the expansion draft has typically been in December. Free agency usually starts in January.
The league has never lost a game to a work stoppage since it started in 1997. Jackson said the sides would eventually get to a new deal, even if they may not have gotten any closer to it Thursday.
“I think we’re on track to get back to meeting, and to engaging in conversations that will lead us to a CBA,” she said.
Jackson was particularly impressed by the number of young stars such as Clark who have helped spark unprecedented growth across nearly every business metric from attendance and viewership.
There’s also the new USD 2.2 billion media rights deal that will start next season, and the league plans to expand to 18 teams by 2030, with each of the three new teams paying a USD 250 million expansion fee.
Players sent the league an initial proposal in February that the league finally responded to last month. But both sides said they are still confident a deal can be reached
“I think we have plenty of time,” Jackson said.