Normally, early February is an important month for the WNBA. This is when we know which free agents will change teams. And that’s also when most of the big deals happen.
However, there is no collective agreement yet since the two parties are at an impasse. At least until last weekend. According to ESPN, the The WNBA and WNBPA players’ union held a negotiating meeting with the CBA last Friday. in New York where the league made a counteroffer. The biggest obstacle is revenue sharing. However, according to Seattle Storm forward/WNBPA President Nneka Ogwumike, things shouldn’t be difficult once that hurdle is negotiated. Here is an excerpt from the ESPN article.
Ogwumike said once revenue sharing is resolved, the rest will hopefully fall into place quickly.
“We made the case that once we solve this problem, we can do everything else,” Ogwumike said.
Players seek to get 30 percent of gross revenue while owners seek to give players 70 percent of net revenue after expenses.
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Even if WNBA players play in various international leagues or alternative American leagues like Unrivaled and Athletes Unlimited, it is still in both parties’ best interests to have a season given that the joint media deal between the NBA and WNBA began last fall with the 2025-26 NBA season. The revenue the WNBA will receive is several times what it received before.
The WNBA regular season is scheduled to begin May 8, but the offseason, including the draft, will take place on a compressed schedule once the deal is finalized. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
