What we're hearing on the WNBA's CBA negotiations

One twelvemonth agone Tuesday, the WNBA players' relation announced the players would opt retired of their existent corporate bargaining statement with the league that was acceptable to expire pursuing the 2025 season.

It was a determination that WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike called a "defining moment, not conscionable for the WNBA, but for each of america who judge successful progress." The players outlined their tendency for a caller economical exemplary based connected equity -- arsenic Ogwumike said, "claiming our rightful stock of the concern we've built" was the apical priority.

Yet 12 months removed from the archetypal announcement, determination are nary signs a caller statement volition beryllium enactment successful spot by the day that the existent woody expires, connected Oct. 31. Asked whether a woody volition get done by that date, WNBPA elder advisor and ineligible counsel ​​Erin Drake told the "Good Game with Sarah Spain" podcast past week, "Unfortunately, I'm not confident."

Since October 2024, tensions person lone escalated, with players expressing vexation with a deficiency of advancement successful negotiations. In precocious September, WNBPA vice president and Unrivaled co-founder Napheesa Collier decried WNBA enactment arsenic the "worst ... successful the world" successful an explosive exit interview that gained the backing of aggregate WNBA stars.

With the 2025 play and Finals present successful the past, each eyes displacement toward what's happening astatine the bargaining table. WNBPA enforcement manager Terri Jackson told ESPN the players are arsenic determined arsenic ever.

"[The players are] truly rather wide and laser focused connected what they're warring for," Jackson said this week, "and what they said a twelvemonth agone was existent six months ago, was existent six weeks ago, six days ago."

It's not yet clip to panic: The 2 sides could hold to an hold that would let them much clip to negociate into November oregon beyond. Still, with the timepiece ticking, ESPN explores the latest we've heard connected arguably the astir consequential acceptable of CBA talks successful league history.

The existent authorities of negotiations

When the league and WNBPA clasp bargaining sessions, determination tin beryllium an array of stakeholders successful the room, and it's not ever the aforesaid radical each meeting, sources acquainted with the negotiations said. WNBA and NBA staff, arsenic good arsenic their extracurricular counsel, correspond the league's broadside of the aisle, with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert attending each substantive bargaining meetings, accordant with erstwhile negotiations successful 2019 and with the actions of erstwhile league commissioners. WNBPA unit and extracurricular counsel are the main participants for the national side, though WNBPA advisors and subordinate enactment mightiness besides attend.

The players' CBA committee typically features astatine slightest 33 players: the 26 subordinate representatives (two per team), 7 members of the enforcement committee (Ogwumike, Kelsey Plum, Elizabeth Williams, Brianna Turner, Alysha Clark, Collier and Breanna Stewart) and a fewer different players extracurricular of those groups who person opted to participate.

The league has its ain mentation of that group, the labour relations committee, featuring 7 squad owners and executives: Suzanne Abair of the Atlanta Dream, Greg Bibb of the Read Entire Article