WNBA players have opted out of their current collective bargaining agreement and face the prospect of a work stoppage if they do not negotiate a new deal with the league by the end of the 2025 season.

The elected members of the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) announced Monday that players are seeking “a business model that reflects their true value, with higher salaries, better professional working conditions, comprehensive health benefits and critical investments needed for the long term. grow.”

Players had until November 1 to opt out of the current deal, which was set to expire in 2027 and will still be in effect until October 31, 2025. The two sides have one year to reach an agreement.

Citing higher ratings, attendance and franchise values, the union said the time is right to renegotiate with the league and owners. The league also recently signed a historic 11-year media rights deal with Disney, Amazon Prime and NBC for $200 million per year.

“This is a defining moment, not just for the WNBA, but for all of us who believe in progress,” WNBPA President Nneka Ogwumike of the Seattle Storm said in a statement. “The world has evolved since 2020 and we cannot afford to stand still. If we stick to the current agreement, we will fall behind.

“Opting out isn’t just about higher salaries – it’s about claiming our rightful share of the business we’ve built, improving working conditions and securing a future where the success we create benefits the players of today and generations to come. We don’t just ask for a cost-benefit analysis that reflects our value; we demand it too, because we have earned it.”

The WNBA moved to all charter travel for the first time this season and will expand to 13 teams next season, with Golden State joining the league. In 2026, Toronto and Portland will also launch WNBA franchises.

“The players made the decision to opt out of the latest CBA to realign the business and save the league from its own restrictions,” WNBPA executive director Terri Carmichael Jackson said. “Today, with a stronger foundation and new investments pouring in, they are choosing again – this time to fully professionalise the competition, secure good wages, improve working conditions and secure meaningful benefits.

“As a union, we serve on behalf of the players, and for them it’s all about business, their business.”

Players are willing to negotiate for as long as necessary, union sources told ESPN’s Chiney Ogwumike, even if it means a work stoppage.

“With the historic 2024 WNBA season in the books, we look forward to working with the players and the WNBPA to create a new CBA that is fair to all and lays the foundation for growth and success for years to come,” says WNBA Commissioner Cathy. Engelbert said in a statement.

The union said it hoped for a new economic model that transforms the current system, which imposes arbitrary and restrictive caps on players’ value and benefits. The players want an equity-based model that will grow and evolve with the league’s increased business success.

Other areas the union would like to see improved include salaries, retirement benefits, and child care and family planning benefits.

“This isn’t a sudden wake-up call. It’s the culmination of what we’ve been driving for over the past few seasons,” said WNBPA First Vice President Kelsey Plum. “We have played a key role in the league’s historic growth and now we are breaking away from the current system and demanding full transparency and a fair share of the company we helped build.”

New York Liberty star and players’ union vice president Breanna Stewart characterized communications with the league earlier this month as good.

Engelbert said in her state-of-the-league address before Game 1 of the Finals that she has been involved in union leadership all year.

“I suspect that given the transformation of the league that we have worked so hard on and building this long-term economic model, we have already returned to the players through charter, through the play-off bonuses a few years ago with more than 50%,” she said. “So we will continue to do that, and when we get to the negotiating table, we will continue to talk about the issues that matter most to the players.”

Alexa Philippou of ESPN and The Associated Press contributed to this report.