WNBA players’ proposal more than double revenue share proposed by league: Sources – The Athletic

The WNBA and its players’ union remain far apart in labor negotiations, with the players asking for more than double the share of revenue proposed by the league.

The league and the union are both proposing salary systems based on league revenue, but the two sides have distinctly different approaches to calculating player compensation, which has driven a wedge into the extended negotiations.

The Women’s National Basketball Players Association recently proposed that players receive roughly 30 percent of total league and team revenue, sources with knowledge of the discussions told The Athletic. Under the WNBA’s latest salary system proposal, players would receive less than 15 percent of total league and team revenue, with that percentage decreasing over the life of the CBA, based on the league’s revenue projections.

In the union’s proposal, the salary cap would be determined by taking the players’ share of the previous season’s total revenue, subtracting the cost of various player benefits, and dividing that number by the number of teams, sources said. Some of those benefits include medical insurance costs, local transportation costs and housing. The union is proposing mandatory league and team audits to ensure accurate accounting and transparency, the sources said.

In the first year of the agreement, players would receive 29 percent of the prior season’s gross revenue, with a one-time adjustment applied to reflect the WNBA’s new 11-year, $2.2 billion media rights deal going into effect next season. In each subsequent season, the players’ share of total league and team revenue would increase by one percent, with players earning 34 percent of the prior season’s gross revenue in the final year of the proposed CBA.

As previously reported, the WNBA is proposing a system in which a portion of league revenue would be shareable, with 50 percent of that portion going to players. How that shareable metric is determined is unclear, but it is not expected to comprise the league’s total revenue. It would result in average salaries projected to be at least $500,0000 and a projected $1.2 million of total compensation for max players in the first year of the agreement. The latter figure would be expected to rise over the agreement’s duration.

The union’s proposal does not include concrete figures for players’ maximum salaries. However, it is expected to result in the league’s highest-paid players earning more than $1 million per season.

The two sides have continued exchanging proposals since agreeing to a second deadline extension on Nov. 30. The current CBA is set to expire on Jan. 9.

The WNBA recently rejected a WNBPA proposal in which players would have received 33 percent of total revenue for each year of the agreement, sources said, leading to the gradual one percent year-over-year ramp-up in the proposal the union submitted last week.

Kelsey Plum, the WNBPA’s first vice president and a Los Angeles Sparks All-Star guard, said Friday that talks between the two sides haven’t progressed as she hoped since the last extension agreement.

“It’s a little bit disheartening, just frustration in the negotiation and how far away we are,” Plum said.

“This is the biggest moment the WNBA has ever seen, and it’s not something that can be messed up, and we’re going to fight for everything that we deserve,” Fever All-Star guard Caitlin Clark said.

Matters other than salary structure have also been addressed in the league and union proposals.

A recent league proposal included the possibility of a draft combine, extending the season footprint and eliminating team-issued housing. The union has continued to push for the elimination of the core designation — the WNBA’s proverbial “franchise tag” — as well as shorter rookie contracts.

Here’s the state of talks on various topics:

Roster sizes and developmental spots

The WNBPA has proposed mandating teams carry 12 players at all times. Each team currently can carry a maximum of 12 players and a minimum of 11.

The WNBPA is also proposing that teams be allowed to sign up to two additional developmental players, who would receive a stipend and could appear in up to 10 games per season at a prorated minimum league salary, before signing a rest-of-season contract. Developmental players would also receive full benefits.

Number of games

The WNBA’s current CBA allows up to 44 games per season. Amid the league’s recent expansion boom, the union is proposing increasing the number of games in a season to 48, while the league has 15, 16 or 17 teams. That would increase to up to 50 games in an 18-team league, per the union’s proposal. The league is proposing the option to play even more games than the union’s proposal, beginning in 2027. That comes as the league is proposing the option to open training camps in mid-March.

Wearable technology

While several teams ask players to utilize wearable technology during practices to track performance, players are currently not allowed to wear such technologies during games. The WNBA is proposing mandatory wearing of the technology during games next season, but the union is proposing a ramp-up period with an option to wear such technologies in 2026 and 2027, then making them mandatory in games in 2028.

Salary exceptions

The WNBPA is proposing salary exceptions be added to the forthcoming CBA agreement. Some of the exceptions would create a performance-based softening of the salary cap system, including increasing compensation for high-performing players on rookie-scale contracts.

Parental leave

The current CBA doesn’t include a leave policy for non-birthing parents. However, throughout negotiations, the WNBPA and league have exchanged proposals about parental leave for non-birthing parents. The Athletic previously reported that a league proposal allows non-birthing parents one week of paid parental leave. The union is proposing four weeks of paid parental leave.

Security

The union is proposing that teams increase full-time security employees to two. The additional security measure is part of the union’s proposal requiring teams to hire non-coaching staff members, including physical therapists, athletic trainers and team physicians.

Mental health

The union would like players to receive up to $500 per month in reimbursement for out-of-network mental health services in the new CBA. The league has included access to mental health care in its proposals, but it rejected the out-of-network, non-league-approved provider reimbursement.

Retirement benefits

The sides have discussed a one-time payment for former players with a certain number of years of service. For retired players who competed at least four years in the WNBA and who are not currently covered by health insurance, the WNBPA is also proposing that the league reimburse up to $1,500 annually for them to undergo various physical exams. The league is proposing inclusion of a health-screening program that would take place at key events in the calendar, but it would not pay for participants’ travel expenses.