The WNBA is currently negotiating for a new CBA as the players’ union is pushing for one that allows them to receive higher compensation and tie their salary cap to the revenue growth of the league. However, as per sources, the current salary structure would result in the players receiving less than 15% of the league’s total revenue. This percentage could decrease over the life of the CBA, based on the league’s revenue projections.
In the meantime, the league has come up with a new proposal. As per ESPN W, the highest-paid players could receive a base salary of $1 million as per the new proposal. However, one part of the proposal also includes how teams would no longer provide housing for players. As of now, teams are spending as low as $1,177 to $2,236 on housing stipends for players. While this issue could be a potential flashpoint, the players’ union and the league have agreed to an extension of the current CBA through January 9, 2026. There is no definitive information until a document is signed.
Fans have expressed their rage, highlighting the inequalities in the pay structure of the league. They took to social media to express their frustrations, and here’s what they had to say. One fan wrote,
“so where are they supposed to live?😵💫”
Another fan added,
“That’s not alot of money… who living under those prices.”
Another fan wrote,
“The WNBA’s counter offers just keep getting worse.”
This fan added,
“The W forgets these players have plenty of other offers.”
Another fan added,
“It’s revenue sharing or bust.”
WNBA teams have been required to provide housing for their players from the regular season through the playoffs. This also includes accommodations during training camps. This system was implemented when the league ratified its first CBA in 1999. However, things are set to change.
The league might view this as a natural progression for professionalizing the WNBA, like the NBA and NFL. An increase in salary could mean players would be in a better financial position to cover their own rent at this point.
New York Liberty guard Natasha Cloud said, “This makes no sense for our younger players, for the players that get cut and are stuck in leases … nor for players in bigger markets.” All of these issues seem to be flashpoints, and leaving them unresolved could most probably lead the league to a lockout.
What Else Could Come Under The New CBA?
Under the new proposal, the average compensation in 2026 is projected to be at least $500,000, as per The Athletic. The current CBA allows excess revenue to be shared with players in a way that 30% is taken off the top as “cost of revenue” and the remaining 70% is split between the league and players. Though that provision has never been exercised since the targets were cumulative starting in 2020, the pandemic hindered the WNBA’s growth.
WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike from the Seattle Storm spoke about this matter to The Athletic. She said, “We don’t feel valued in these talks as they stand today. … I feel like we’ve been heard, but not listened to. And I’m hoping that that changes in this 40-day extension, because what we want to do is get a good deal done.”
Perhaps, it’s pertinent for the league to resolve this gap by the January 9 deadline. This demands a good-faith compromise to fuel the league’s boom without capping player upside.
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