Gilbert Arenas Provides Solution to Controversial WNBA Problem

The WNBA could be headed for a lockout this offseason, just when it is the most popular ever. The current collective bargaining agreement expires around Halloween this year, and the league and players’ union appear far apart in negotiations.

More than 40 players attended negotiations in Indianapolis during All-Star Weekend last month, and all left with a bad taste in their mouths.

‘Yesterday’s meeting didn’t go well,’ Dallas Wings rookie sensation Paige Bueckers declared. “I think it was great for us to show a collective of players how important this meeting was to us. There were over 40 people in that room, and it was historic for the CBA negotiations. But I don’t think there certainly wasn’t a moment where we agreed and got together to meet with parties.”

This led to WNBA All-Stars wearing pregame warm-up jerseys that read “Pay us what you owe us.” With just months until the CBA expires, the next deal is not looking good.

Gilbert Arenas’ idea for a new WNBA CBA

Three-time NBA All-Star and former Memphis Grizzlies guard Gilbert Arenas gave his take on what players should demand for the new CBA, and it’s a bold idea, as you’d expect with Arenas.

“I think the problem here is this. Stop asking for revenue sharing. (Say) I want real money. Take off the cap. Let our landlord pay us what he wants to pay us. Here’s why. Okay, so listen, when you talk about revenue sharing, it’s no different from business, right?” Arenas surveyed.

“We can split our revenue 50/50. So what does the person who owns the business do? Ah, there’s no profit. I have all these bills to pay. So there’s no revenue,” Arenas added.

“So it’s a pointless thing to do, right? Because they’re going to make up for everything they lost. So they’re like, ‘Oh, you want revenue, but we lost $40 million, so how are we going to give you (when we have) no money?’

Gilbert Arenas wants the WNBA to remove the salary cap completely and just let owners spend what they want, like MLB does. The NBA implemented tax aprons so that smaller markets could still spend at a level similar to the New Yorks and Bostons of the world. In the WNBA, Arenas says that could be a good thing.

“What you want is to remove the hard cap. Let the egos of the billionaires come in because one thing that someone who has money doesn’t want to do is be on the same playing field with someone who negotiated. So if I make 11 billion and he makes 500 million, I don’t want to be on the same playing field; that’s business. I want to buy out his players.”

The more invested owners will force the less spenders to find more investors or sell their teams to someone willing to spend. This sounds good, in theory, but it wouldn’t be feasible for long.

“If Vegas can have its private plane, let them let it. What happens? All the girls start talking…And what happens is everyone wants to fly there. What ends up happening to the bottom half is they go looking for new investors,” Arenas said.

“Stop trying to be greedy,” Arenas said. “You want to own 100% of everything with 200 million. No. Find someone who can invest, and you lose 75% of your company. You have 25. But that’s 11 billion, man.”

The WNBA just signed a $2 billion, 11-year TV deal that kicks in next season, and players would like to see a bigger share of the revenue from that deal. The WNBA may have lost money, but the league has never been more interested in the league with rising superstars like Paige Bueckers, Caitlin Clark, Cameron Brink, Angel Reese and many others. Its popularity will only continue to grow as well.

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