THE expiration of the WNBA CBA is quickly approaching, and players are fighting for better representation in a new deal.
The WNBA collective bargaining agreement is set to end on October 31, and negotiations are already underway for the next iteration of it.
The WNBA is fighting for better representation in a new collective bargaining agreement[/caption]
Natasha Cloud of the New York Liberty revealed the players won’t back down from their demands[/caption]
The original CBA was set to expire in 2027, but the WNBA Players Association opted out in order to end the deal two years early.
Players are looking to capitalize on the meteoric rise in popularity of the league by getting a deal done ASAP.
However, the WNBA and the players appear to be pretty far apart in negotiations.
Earlier in the month, Satou Sabally of the Phoenix Mercury, a representative of the WNBPA, said that the first proposal the WNBA sent was a “slap in the face.”
Her comments came right after the league announced its expansion to 18 teams.
“I love to see the league growing,” Sabally said.
“But how cool would it also be to have a little bit of expansion on the rosters?
“Let’s focus on the teams that have everything set up right now.”
On Thursday, WNBA players are set to meet with the league to discuss the next CBA.
More than 20 players are expected to attend, including four from the New York Liberty.
Liberty guard Natasha Cloud spoke about how hard the players are going to fight in the negotiations.
“We’re not f***ing around” she said.
“This is a huge CBA for us. We know our worth. We know our value. And this is us going and fighting for it.”
If the players don’t see that the WNBA is willing to give them what they want, they could decide to lock out.
By going on strike, the players could put the pressure on the WNBA to bend to their demands in order not to slow any of the league’s momentum.
It makes sense for both parties to come to an agreement, but if they don’t a strike is possible.
The WNBA is already cashing in on its recent success with an 11-year, $2.2 billion deal.
Notable US sports strikes
THE WNBA collective bargaining agreement is set to expire soon, and players could hold out for better conditions if they can’t agree to a new deal.
Sports strikes aren’t a new idea, with multiple major lockouts taking place in the past decades.
From August 12, 1994 to April 2, 1995, Major League Baseball went on strike. This resulted in the entire postseason and World Series being canceled. The league lost almost 1,000 games because owners wanted to institute a salary cap and revenue sharing.
The strike worked, and owners eventually backed off of the salary cap demands and returned to the old pay structure.
During the 1982 NFL season, the NFLPA went on strike from September 21 to November 16.
Five weeks of games were lost and the league shortened its season to nine weeks. The playoffs were also expanded to 16 teams that season.
Players were unhappy with their share of revenue, looking for 55 percent. The strike was resolved with a one-time, $60 million payment to players and an increase to minimum player salaries and benefits.
In 2004, the entire NHL season was cancelled due to a player strike. From September 16, 2004 to July 22, 2005, players protested Commissioner Cary Bettman’s idea to tie player salaries to league revenue.
This was resolved by adjusting the salary cap every season to ensure players receive 54 percent of the league’s revenue and a salary floor was put in place.
That deal has already grown in value thanks to an extension that the league signed with Scripps Sports.
The WNBA also collected $250 million from each of Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia as an expansion fee for entering the league in the coming years.
With the league growing so quickly, players want to see the same financial benefits that the league is seeing in the new CBA.
“As the league grows, it’s time for the CBA that reflects our true value,” Indiana Fever players Sophie Cunningham and Sydney Colson said in a joint statement.
“We are fighting for a fair share of business that we built.”
Around 80 percent of the WNBA is set to enter free agency this offseason in anticipation of increased salaries when the new CBA is signed.
Currently, the biggest contract in the league belongs to Jackie Young of the Las Vegas Aces, who is making $252,450 a year.
There is no word on how much larger players are hoping to make their salaries in the next CBA.
