There haven’t been many updates to the WNBA collective bargaining agreement over the past week as the holidays are in full swing, but work surely continues behind the scenes as the Jan. 9 deadline approaches. With the WNBA’s explosive growth in recent years, this may be the first time many new fans have witnessed a CBA negotiation process in real time, and it can be confusing.
Obviously, labor movements and negotiations are a large part of human history, and the one the WNBA is currently engaged in may seem insignificant, and some may say “it’s just sports.” Yet given the turning point in history we seem to be going through now, with the growth of women’s sport and a period of division in society, this negotiation also seems to be more than just a game.
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For perhaps the first time in the WNBA’s 30-year history, it’s the players who have the majority of the leverage here, and they can throw a lot more punches than in previous negotiations. This is the time for them to demand things that haven’t been mandatory in the league historically; to get up to par with other professional leagues, because there are still many ways in which these players are not treated like true professionals.
Salary and income proposals are one thing, but many other elements are also on the negotiating table. This fight goes beyond revenue sharing and basketball-related revenue: These players are fighting to be treated as valued human workers who deserve some of the benefits of the product they create, not just as replaceable drones who should be happy to be there.
This will be important to remember in the coming weeks when they are chastised for being “spoiled” because people think the only reason they rejected the league’s proposals is because they aren’t offering enough money individually, because this fight is about more than just any one player, it’s about setting a precedent for how they will do it. all be treated for years.
Staffing requirements
Only in the past five years have WNBA team ownership groups begun providing WNBA players with things like state-of-the-art, private, dedicated training and treatment facilities. For example, there has never been a rule in the contract between the league and players requiring teams to have personnel like physical therapists, athletic trainers and team doctors on staff. For professional athletes. Imagine the WNBA’s biggest stars having to go to their local physical therapy office at their own expense instead of being treated by the best, most specialized women’s basketball coaches and massage therapists at a dedicated facility, and you’ll get an idea of what the players faced while being expected to create the best women’s basketball product in the world.
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This is something that the players are fighting for in these negotiations. This is not only for recovery purposes, but also to prevent injuries. Having athletic trainers and other similar health and performance professionals on staff to be able to know the players, their history and tendencies will help them prevent injuries. If the league asks players to increase the number of games, frequency of games and length of the season, they must also provide the appropriate health care to keep them healthy.
The players also want to put in writing that this new trend in training facilities, dedicated changing rooms and equipment is also a requirement for the teams.
Retirement benefits
Many professional leagues offer their players retirement benefits that extend over a certain period of time after they finish playing their sport. It’s difficult, of course, because athletes don’t have the same retirement timeline as non-athletic careers. An athlete can retire before the age of 30, while most people don’t think about it until they approach 60.
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In some cases, such as in the NFL, leagues will keep retired players under league insurance for about five years after you finish playing. Kind of giving them time to hopefully find other insurance or settle into their next career. The WNBA has nothing like that.
So now one proposal in these ongoing negotiations is to create retirement benefits for the league. Not just for players currently playing, but with the idea that previously retired players could receive a bit of back pay or support to help them out. The way they propose it works is that players who have some experience in the league will receive a one-time allocation., by The Athletic.
Safety and mental health
With the sudden increase in popularity of the WNBA, security has become an issue. This is one of the main reasons why the charter flight program was hastily launched during the 2024 season. Having a player with celebrity status like Cailtin Clark walking around an airport with limited security was not a good idea. It was also incredibly dangerous.
Yet the WNBA only requires each team to have one security guard. Players also have their own personal security, like Clark and A’ja Wilson. The players are proposing that each team be required to have two security guards on staff.
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Another part of the proposed benefits package is $500 per month reimbursement for mental health services, which does not currently exist. Another effect of this big league boom has been the effects on players’ mental health, fan pressure and the toxicity that has seemed to seep into the league in recent years. Add in the regular struggles of being a professional athlete and everything else going on in the world, and the least the league can do is add mental health benefits to its CBA.
Hopefully we’ll get an update on the status of these negotiation points (and everything else players are fighting for) this week. The fight players are currently engaged in isn’t just about the future of the WNBA (although that’s on the line, too); it’s about legitimizing the growth of women’s sport, by treating female athletes as true professionals., and further close the big gap between how the best men and women in their field are treated.
