As the WNBA and the league’s players’ union approach the Nov. 30 deadline for the current collective bargaining agreement to expire, the league’s most recent proposal to the WNBPA includes a maximum salary of more than $1.1 million, sources with knowledge of the negotiations said. Athletics.
WNBA officials briefed the league’s board of governors on the final details of the proposal earlier this week as league owners met in New York on Monday and Tuesday, sources said. The league’s proposal also included a minimum salary of more than $220,000, with the average player salary being more than $460,000, according to sources. The Associated Press was first to report the latest figures.
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The league’s proposal reflects a maximum salary increase from a proposal made earlier this fall, in which it offered the players’ union a maximum salary of about $850,000. League officials, including Engelbert, as well as NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, discussed increasing the maximum salary for WNBA players in the future deal. The current maximum salary for a player is around $250,000.
The proposal was made Oct. 29, the day before the players’ union accepted a 30-day extension offer to push back the CBA’s expiration deadline from Oct. 31 to Nov. 30, sources said. The two sides are expected to meet on Wednesday, the last in a series of meetings this month.
In October 2024, the WNBPA withdrew from the current CBA agreement, which otherwise would have expired after the 2027 season, citing a desire to claim a “piece of the business we built.” The union and league have been negotiating ever since, and talks resumed during the 2025 WNBA season.
The WNBPA has remained steadfast in its demands for an overhaul of the WNBA’s current revenue sharing system. The players’ union has repeatedly proposed a salary framework tied to WNBA operations, in which salaries would be tied to a percentage of revenue generated by the league. It’s unclear how much revenue the union wants in its latest proposal.
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The league has met with a number of key stakeholders in recent days. In addition to meeting with the Board of Governors earlier this week, league officials met with WNBA coaches and general managers on Thursday as well as team presidents on Friday. At competition committee meetings Thursday, the topic of WNBA officiating was hotly discussed, sources said, and WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert also publicly acknowledged during the 2025 WNBA Finals the importance of aligning with officiating standards. The subject of arbitration was also discussed during meetings of the board of governors.
A work stoppage would not begin immediately if an agreement is not reached or another extension is put in place by November 30. The parties would enter a period of status quo, which, in practice, would maintain the same working conditions. Players would still be able to access team facilities and receive medical benefits in a status quo period.
However, in this scenario, the players’ union or the league could announce a work stoppage.
This article was originally published in Athletics.
WNBA, Sports Affairs
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