WNBA players opt out of CBA: Long-term salaries and benefits among focus

The WNBA Players Association announced Monday that players will withdraw from the current collective bargaining agreement with the league. This news comes one day after the WNBA Finals concluded with the New York Liberty winning their first league title.

The announcement is not a surprise. Players are supposed to opt out, which they also did in 2018 for the previous CBA tournament. The current agreement was reached in January 2020, and is one of the league’s first major accomplishments under the leadership of Cathy Engelbert, who took over as commissioner in 2019.

Players had until Nov. 1 to opt out, but they declared the impact of the best-of-five WNBA Finals still reverberating through the sports world. The current agreement runs until October 31, 2025, giving the league and the federation a 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. It’s worth about $2.2 billion, or $200 million annually, but future agreements with additional partners could bring the league’s total media deals closer to $3 billion.

Women’s National Basketball Players Association President Nneka Ogwumike of the Seattle Storm pointed to the gains the league has made since the last CBA — which was in effect before the COVID-19 pandemic — and said the time is right to move on.

“This is a defining moment, not only for the NBA, but for all of us who believe in progress,” Ogwumike said in a statement. “The world has evolved since 2020, and we cannot stand still. If we stay in the current agreement, we will fall behind.

“Opting out isn’t just about bigger paychecks – it’s about claiming our rightful share of the business we’ve built, improving working conditions, and securing a future where the success we achieve benefits players today and generations to come.”

A prospective draft class led by Rookie of the Year Kaitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever has helped the WNBA generate more coverage than ever before. This has added to the league’s bottom line and prompted discussion about the players’ star power and economic impact.

ESPN is examining what the opt-out means for the league, the timing of the decision and its impact on the WNBA for next year and beyond.

Why is the WNBPA opting out now?

With women’s basketball growing tremendously over the past two years, all signs point to the WNBPA withdrawing from the current CBA. The business side has been booming, with ratings and attendance numbers seeing the best teams and league in decades, if not ever. Engelbert said the league’s $2.2 billion media deal will foster a long-term, sustainable economic model.

Players see this as the right moment to capitalize on the rise of the sport and turn it into a transformative change that could shape the league for years to come.

“With this increase in interest, access, visibility and of course investment dollars, the most pressing thing to consider now is how to use those dollars to continue to grow and value players as well,” Ogwumike told ESPN in July. “And to see what that looks like in what feels like a very transformative time in our league.” — Philip

What are the big issues driving this opt-out? What will be the players’ priorities?

The players basically knew they were walking away from this agreement when they signed it in 2020. What they couldn’t have known at the time was how much would change by October 2024.

Some of the biggest issues with the previous CBA have been addressed, such as charter flights, which are now being used for all games starting in the 2024 season. There have been concerns from players about how the process will be implemented and some inequities in the charters themselves. But these things can be solved, and this was a huge step forward for players.

In speaking to players during 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 upcoming CBA. Franchisees have recognized the importance of practice facilities and pushed each other forward. The need for the best facilities for practices and games is no longer something any franchise can ignore.

The push for higher wages has been there with every CBA in the league’s history, so salaries will be on the table. Players are determined to see their value to the league reflected more in how they are paid. — Phobile

What specific salary structure changes might the WNBPA look for?

And salary increases are only part of the equation. The 2024 cap was $241,984, while the minimum salary for players with zero to two years of service (including starters) was $64,154.

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

“Opting out isn’t just about getting paid more, it’s also about claiming our rightful share of the business we’ve built…”

Nneka Ogwumike, President, WNBPA

In a press release, the league stated a priority “to transform the current system, which imposes arbitrary and restrictive limits on the value and benefits players receive, by introducing an equity-based model that grows and develops in line with the success of the league’s business.” “

“We’ve gotten to a point where the salary cap and the systems and this part of the business has to start looking like a professional league and not a startup, and value the business right and value the players right,” WNBPA executive director Terry Jackson told ESPN in July. “We haven’t really done that with the kind of strict cap system that we have, and that’s unfortunate.”

The salary conversation also flows into prioritization, a set of rules that require players to arrive at WNBA training camps on time from their outside commitments. Setting priorities was something the owners wanted in recent negotiations; It will be interesting to see if players can ease these restrictions, and how increasing salaries could help solve the problem by keeping a lot of players in the US in the first place. — Philip

What is important to the league and its owners?

Throughout the league’s existence, details regarding its finances were murky. The NBA’s assertion over the years is that the WNBA loses money annually and the franchises are not accumulating in value. However, economic evaluations — such as what the Storm’s ownership group did before breaking ground on the Seattle training facility — have shown that the franchises are starting to pile up in value. Another key indicator: The WNBA will expand by three more teams in the next two seasons. The league expects to add another team, bringing it to 16 teams by 2028.

Players have good reason for wanting to participate in the league’s increasing economic growth. But they must also understand how much ownership groups stand to lose over the years and make sure what they are demanding is sustainable for all parties. — Phobile

Could a downtime be on the horizon?

With the 2025 season unaffected by the opt-out, the players and the league have an extra year to negotiate and create a new CBA that goes into effect before the 2026 season. According to ESPN’s Chiney Ogwumike, the players are willing to negotiate as long as it takes, even if it means a shutdown — which is Something that would be unprecedented in the history of the league. — Philip

How will this affect free agency?

With the opt-out deadline looming, the majority of players in the league have not signed long-term contracts beyond 2025, anticipating a salary increase from the new CBA. As such, 2026 free agency — which would also coincide with the launch of two new expansion teams in Toronto and Portland — could be as close to free agency for all as we’ve seen before. Phoenix Mercury general manager Nick Oren even joked to The Washington Post that executives should treat free agency like “a fantasy football draft. We should all get together and get a table and we’ll do this thing in one room.” — Philip