As the deadline for collective bargaining negotiations between WNBA players and the league looms on Oct. 31, it doesn’t seem like the players and the league are any closer to ironing out a deal. In fact, outspoken WNBA player Napheesa Collier, who previously blasted the league’s commissioner Cathy Engelbert for being the “worst” leader in pro sports, gave us an idea of how these negotiations have been going.
WNBA Offers 30-Day Extension, Players Headed Towards Strike
The WNBA has offered players a 30-day extension to continue negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement, sources told ESPN on Tuesday.
An extension before the current CBA expires Friday would allow both sides more time to work toward a new deal, though even if one is not implemented, both parties could continue to negotiate in good faith. Both sides agreed to a 60-day extension during the last round of CBA negotiations in 2019 before the new deal was signed in January 2020.
Players Not Sure They Want To Negotiate Further
If an extension is not reached, then the players could strike or be locked out by the owners. WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert acknowledged during the WNBA Finals that while she was hopeful both sides would meet the Oct. 31 deadline, “We have extended deadlines in the past.”
A source said the players might be willing to consider an extension “under the right circumstances” but they feel “those circumstances do not yet exist.”
Napheesa Collier Blasts WNBA Again, Uses Caitlin Clark As Proof
The public is not privy to the numbers, nothing about the WNBA’s finances are transparent, easy to decipher or readily available to anyone, So most people react emotionally based on what is said by the players or the league when they offer a glimpse into what’s going on behind the scenes.
Recently Collier blasted the league again and used Cailtlin Clark as ammunition in a recent Glamour Magazine interview.
“The amount of money that Caitlin Clark has made the league is insane, and she’s getting 0% of it because we have no revenue share. She gets less than $80,000 a year, and she’s bringing in, like, hundreds of millions of dollars. It’s insane,” said Collier.
What Does the WNBAPA Want?
Among the changes the WNBAPA is seeking in the new CBA is higher salaries for players. Players also want a higher percentage of the WNBA’s revenue instead of just fixed increases to salaries, which currently limits a player’s maximum base salary to about $250,000.
“We are being so grossly almost taken advantage of, and it should be illegal,” Lynx star Napheesa Collier told Glamour.
The current maximum $250,000 base salary doesn’t extend to all players across the WNBA because players on their rookie contracts (like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese who are probably worth more to the league than some teams) are earning less than $100,000 per year in the first three years of their careers.
“The amount of money that Caitlin Clark has made the league is insane, and she’s getting 0% of it because we have no rev share,” Collier said. “She gets less than $80,000 a year, and she’s bringing in, like, hundreds of millions of dollars. It’s insane.”
WNBA Headed Towards A Lockout With Oct. 31 CBA Deadline Looming
Back in August, as everyone celebrated A’ja Wilson’s legendary run to a third WNBA championship and fourth MVP, we knew this was coming. The players reportedly turned down a deal that would nearly quadruple their pay.
“BREAKING: The WNBA are heading towards a LOCKOUT before their October deadline. Players turned down a deal that would’ve quadrupled their pay, minimum $66K to $250K, maximum $250K to $1M,” a post by @HoopMixOnly stated.
WNBA players and their supporters believe that the explosion in women’s basketball, the increased ratings and gate revenue, along with the $2B off the NBA meda rights deal, generated by Clark, Paige Bueckers, Angel Reese, Wilson and others, should coincide with an adjustment in leageu salaries.
Are The Numbers Adding Up? What REALLY Are The Numbers
It’s hard to generate full fan support when nobody actually knows what the books say beyond what’s reported.
“I understand what she is saying, but I have a question, Doesn’t the WNBA lose money every year? I thought the NBA gives money also,” said one fan.
“They have never turned a profit in almost 30 years, lost $50M last season. The NBA subsidizes this, otherwise it would fold,” said another.
“Welfare National Basketball Association, WNBA … .they get paid with SNAP cards provided by the NBA. This is how socialism works, but then they want to be like the NBA but can’t produce the same quality product for the paying audience.
“They should start their own league. They can run it the way that they want and pay themselves what they want,” advised another netizen.
WNBA players, led by Collier and Brenna Stewart actually started their own league, Unrivaled. It debuted this past summer and paid players up to $220,000. That’s almost three seasons of work for a WNBA player on a rookie contract. Unfortunately, the league is 3v3 and is strictly for offseason exposure and a way to keep players from having to go overseas where they can make up to a cool million, while risking becoming political pawns like Brittney Griner.
WNBA Doesn’t Deny Players Deserve Salary Increase
League executives aren’t denying that WNBA players deserve more, but you can’t tank the league by paying players a salary that doesn’t take into account years of losses that have to be accounted for. Fans who don’t have to pay the players and have never even seen pro sports money, are split along lines of emotion.
“All of this talk of expenses and the league taking losses can only be confirmed if the books are opened,” said one fan.
“The person that got the promotion last month and immediately goes house shopping,” said one fan in response to Collier’s comments. “Ya’ll just stopped losing money. You haven’t been paid on the new TV deal, yet. Let the wins accrue. Surely, some of this new money is going toward debt. Keep pushing with realistic expectations.
Did Napheesa Collier Drop The Ball Outing WNBA Commisioner Cathy Engelbert?
Collier has been praised for standing up to the league and whistle blowing on supposed conversations she had with Engelbert. At the same time, throwing insults and cancelling reconciliation meetings doesn’t necessarily help negotiations. Particularly, when the league is holding most of the bargaining power and according to what’s being reported, any significant increase in salaries or revenue sharing would be a good faith offering for the WNBA, rather than good business. Maybe it can be both, but concessions have to be made on both sides.
Using Caitlin Clark As Ammo
It was a smart move for Collier to bring Caitlin Clark into the mix, but other than saying she supports Collier’s previous comments, Clark is already rich with a $28M Nike deal in tow and the general consensus in the sports world is that the WNBA needs her a lot more than she needs them at this point. She doesn’t have to be as vocal and even though everyone wants to hear from her, she’s not one of the veterans who traditionally handle these kinds of negotiations.
Clark is grossly underpaid and her agent went as far as to say that the league can’t afford to pay the NCAA’s all-time leading bucket-getter what she’s worth. But she’s the exception, not the rule.
While Collier is praised and punished for speaking out, her latest comments don’t paint a positive picture for those fans hoping that the new CBA would be in place by month’s end.
