WNBA players forgo CBA: salaries and long-term benefits are the focus

The WNBA players' union announced Monday that the players will be opting out of their current collective bargaining agreement with the league. The news comes a day after the WNBA Finals ended with the New York Liberty winning their first championship title.

The announcement is no surprise. It was assumed that the players would opt out, which they had also done in 2018 for their previous CBA. The current agreement was reached in January 2020, one of the first major achievements for the league under Cathy Engelbert, who took over as commissioner in 2019.

Players had until Nov. 1 to opt out, but made the announcement as the fallout from the best-of-five WNBA Finals was still reverberating across the sports world. The current agreement runs through Oct. 31, 2025, giving the league and union one year to negotiate the next agreement.

In July, the WNBA announced a new 11-year media rights deal that includes partnerships with Disney, Amazon Prime Video and NBCUniversal. The value is about $2.2 billion, or $200 million per year, but future agreements with additional partners could bring the league's total media deals closer to $3 billion.

Seattle Storm Women's National Basketball Players Association President Nneka Ogwumike noted the progress the league had made since the last CBA — which was in effect before the COVID-19 pandemic — and said it was time to move forward.

“This is a pivotal moment, not just for the WNBA, but for all of us who believe in progress,” Ogwumike 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.”

“Exit isn't just about bigger paychecks – it's about demanding our rightful share in the business we've built, improving working conditions and securing a future where the success we create delivers to today's players and players will benefit future generations.”

A highly anticipated draft class led by Indiana Fever's Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark helped bring the WNBA more coverage than ever before. That has improved the league's bottom line and spurred discussion about players' star power and economic impact.

ESPN examines what the opt-out means for the league, when the decision will be made and what impact it will have on the WNBA next year and beyond.

Why is the WNBPA waiving it now?

As women's basketball has grown tremendously in recent years, all signs point to the WNBPA opting out of the current CBA. The business side is booming, with ratings and viewership the best teams and league have seen in decades, if not ever. And Engelbert said the league's $2.2 billion media deal will advance a sustainable, long-term economic model.

Players see this as the moment to turn the sport's rise into a transformative change that can shape the league for years to come.

“With this increase in attention, accessibility, visibility and of course dollar investment, the most pressing consideration right now is how do we use those dollars to continue to grow and also value the players,” Ogwumike told ESPN in July. “And to see what that looks like in what feels like a very transformative time in our league.” — Philippou

What are the big issues leading to this opt-out? What will the players' priorities be?

The players essentially knew they were getting out of this agreement when they signed it in 2020. What they couldn't have known then was how much would change by October 2024.

Some of the previous CBA's biggest problems have been addressed, such as charter flights now being used for all games starting with the 2024 season. There were player concerns about the way this process was implemented and there were some inequities in the charters themselves. But these things can be sorted out and that was a big step forward for the players.

In speaking with players this season, ESPN found that pensions – including for former players – and more support for players with children were topics that came up frequently in the next CBA. Franchises have recognized the importance of practice facilities and pushed each other forward. The need for world-class facilities for training and games can no longer be ignored by any franchise.

The push to increase wages has been present in every CBA in league history, so salaries will remain on the table. Players are determined to more fully reflect their value to the league in the way they are paid. — Voepel

What specific changes to the salary structure could the WNBPA seek?

Raises are only part of the equation. The maximum wage for 2024 was $241,984, while the minimum wage for players with zero to two years of service (including rookies) was $64,154.

But players are also interested in potentially changing how the cap works. Teams are currently operating with a hard cap (of $1,463,200 in 2024) that can be restrictive, but players can push for the implementation of a soft cap or more creative salary structures.

“Exit isn’t just about bigger paychecks – it’s about demanding our rightful share of the business we built…”

Nneka Ogwumike, WNBPA President

In a press release, the union cited the priority as “transforming the current system, which imposes arbitrary and restrictive caps on the value and benefits players receive, by adopting an equity-based model consistent with the league's business success.” grows and develops.” “

“We're getting to a point where the salary cap and the systems and that part of the business has to start looking like a professional league that's not a startup, that properly values ​​the work and properly values ​​the players,” said Terri Jackson, the executive director the WNBPA told ESPN in July. “We haven’t really been able to do that with this rigid hard cap system we have in place, and that’s unfortunate.”

The salary discussion also factors into prioritization, a set of rules that require players to arrive from their overseas assignments to WNBA training camps on time. The prioritization was a wish of the owners in the last negotiations; It will be interesting to see if players can relax these restrictions and how higher salaries could help solve the problem by keeping many players in the US in the first place. — Philippou

What is important to the league and the owners?

Throughout the league's existence, details of its finances remained unclear. The NBA's claim over the years is that the WNBA loses money every year and that the franchises do not increase in value. However, economic assessments — like the one the Storm ownership group conducted before work began on Seattle's practice facility — showed that the franchises were gradually increasing in value. Another important indicator: The WNBA will grow by three more teams in the next two seasons. The league expects to add another team by 2028, reaching 16 teams.

The players have good reasons for wanting to participate in the league's increased economic growth. But they also need to understand how much ownership groups may have lost over the years and ensure their demands are affordable for all parties. — Voepel

Could a work stoppage be on the horizon?

Since the 2025 season is not affected by the opt-out, the players and the league have more than a year to negotiate and create a new CBA to take effect starting with the 2026 season. According to ESPN's Chiney Ogwumike, the players are willing to negotiate for as long as it takes, even if it means a work stoppage – something that would be unprecedented in league history. — Philippou

How will this impact free agency?

With the exit looming, the majority of players in the league have not signed long-term contracts beyond 2025 and are expecting a salary increase through a new CBA. As a result, free agency in 2026 — which also includes the creation of two new expansion teams in Toronto and Portland — could be as close to a free-for-all as we've ever seen. Phoenix Mercury general manager Nick U'Ren even joked to the Washington Post that executives should treat free agency like a “fantasy football draft.” We should all just get together, get a table and just do the whole thing in one room. — Philippou