By Mike Vorkunov, Ben Pickman and Sabreena Merchant

The Women’s National Basketball Players Association on Monday withdrew from the WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement, setting in motion a delicate negotiation that will help determine the league’s economic system when it launches.

The decision wasn’t a surprise, and the union made it official just a few hours after the WNBA Finals ended. The players’ union, or league, had until November 1 to do so, and it was widely expected that the players’ association would apply for a new collective labor agreement. The current CBA expires on October 31, 2025.

A union source confirmed this The Athletics that players are willing to negotiate for as long as necessary to reach a new agreement, even if that means a work stoppage. ESPN was the first to report on a possible interruption. However, both sides appear willing to enter into good-faith talks to reach a new agreement and avoid a delay in gameplay.

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

She added: “We’re not just asking for a cost-benefit analysis that reflects our value; we demand it because we have earned it.”

The WNBA has changed dramatically since the current CBA was agreed upon and implemented. The country has gone through a pandemic and then a steep period of growth. It has never been as popular as it is today, and there are strong signs that the financial situation is improving.

The increase was due to a combination of factors. After decades of instability, the WNBA appeared to be turning the corner in 2020 and 2021. The league sought additional money from investors through a capital increase and had raised $75 million by February 2022. Viewership began to increase as the competition broke through to a larger audience. This year has been a perfect storm. TV viewing figures shot up and so did interest. The league will add three new franchises through expansion by 2026, with a fourth expected soon after.

Rookie guard Caitlin Clark has become one of the biggest stars in any sport and has pushed the league even further forward, as have rookie forward Angel Reese and incumbent stars A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier. A compelling five-game WNBA Finals proved a fitting coda to the 2024 season.

“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.

Now both sides will have to figure out how to proceed. WNBA players are not guaranteed a certain share of revenue, as NFL, NBA and NHL players have negotiated for themselves in their CBAs. WNBA fans and players have called for higher salaries.

But their desires probably go beyond just money. The WNBPA outlined its priorities in the next negotiating talks, including minimum standards for playing and practice facilities, improved retirement benefits, family planning and maternity benefits.

The current collective labor agreement came into effect on January 17, 2020 and during those discussions, the players’ association has taken steps on a number of these fronts. Salaries rose across the board, with average annual player compensation exceeding six figures for the first time. The CBA also introduced progressive family planning, including fully paid maternity leave. Yet even on this last front there is room for change. The current CBA stipulates that players must have played for eight years — a threshold that is above many players’ tenure — before a $20,000 benefit for family planning services such as egg freezing kicks in.

“Making sure that player health and safety is a constant, that charters are in place, and making sure that as we have more moms and parents in this league, those benefits only get better,” Stewart said. The Athletics during July’s All-Star weekend that she was most passionate about.

Added Lynx All-Star Kayla McBride: “It’s always about the players. We just have to make sure that we are looked after at a high level, that the players are safe, and then also the salaries so that we don’t have to go abroad.”

The league has been less clear about what it appears to want, but will likely want to take stock of its financial situation at a time when revenues have finally started to grow through significant measures. After decades of demand, it has introduced charter flights for every team this season.

“Given the transformation of the league that we have worked so hard to build and build this long-term economic model, we have already returned to players by charter, cutting playoff bonuses by more than 50 percent a few years ago. increase. Engelbert said before Game 1 of the WNBA Finals. “When we come to the negotiating table, we will continue to talk about the issues that matter most to the players. We’re really looking forward to getting into that now that we’ve gotten the media deal that we’ve been discussing, business partners, just everything.

The league will have a new media rights deal in place in 2026 that will pay it an average of $200 million over the next 11 years, up from current deals valued at about $50 million annually. Disney, NBC and Amazon will have national media rights deals with the league, but it’s possible two more packages could be added — it also currently has deals with ION and CBS — which would ultimately increase rights fees even further.

However, when the new deal was announced, union leaders expressed concerns about how the $200 million figure was decided and believe that the WNBA’s product remains undervalued even under the new deal.

Moreover, it is unclear how that money trickles down to the teams. The NBA owns 42.5 percent of the league and the WNBA sold about 16 percent of its shares in the capital increase. Proceeds from the league will be distributed among teams in what league stakeholders have described as a waterfall, but who gets what and in what order is unknown.

“The players made the decision to opt out of the latest CBA in order 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.”

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(Photo: Sarah Stier/Getty Images)