‘Transformational change’: WNBPA opts out of CBA to negotiate for higher salaries, benefits

INDIANAPOLIS — The WNBA players’ union has officially opted out of the league’s current collective bargaining agreement.

It’s something that has long been expected, but became official on Monday. With the recent boom in interest in the WNBA, along with sky-high TV ratings, attendance, and other investments into the league, the WNBPA opted out of the agreement just before the deadline of Nov. 1. The current CBA, which was agreed to in 2020, will now expire on Oct. 31, 2025, instead of in 2027.

“The players made the decision to opt out of the last CBA to realign the business and save the league from its own limitations,” WNBPA Executive Director Terri Carmichael Jackson said in a statement. “Today, with a stronger foundation and new investments flowing in, they’re opting out again—this time to fully professionalize the league, secure proper wages, improve working conditions, and lock in meaningful benefits. As a union, we serve at the behest of the players, and for them, this is all about business — their business.”

In a news release, the WNBPA highlighted the 2024 season as a “historic breakthrough.” Viewership on ESPN was up 170% and attendance was at a 22-year high, according to the union, with a 48% increase from 2023. The postseason saw multiple games with over a million viewers: all of the WNBA Finals games had more than one million viewers, and 2.5 million watched Game 2 of Indiana-Connecticut in the first round of the playoffs.

Fever WNBA draft options: Pick help for defense, depth or trade for experience

“This is a defining moment, not just for the WNBA, but for all of us who believe in progress,” Seattle Storm forward and WNBPA President Nneka Ogwumike said in a statement. “The world has evolved since 2020, and we cannot afford to stand still. If we stay in the current agreement, we fall behind. This is a new era, and we are ready to lead transformational change — change that goes beyond women’s sports and sets a precedent for something greater. 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 create benefits today’s players and the generations to come. We’re not just asking for a CBA that reflects our value; we’re demanding it, because we’ve earned it.”

The WNBA Executive Committee and Player Representatives, approximately 31 total players, voted on behalf of the players to opt-out. Aliyah Boston and Katie Lou Samuelson, the player representatives for Indiana, were part of the voting block.

The league and the players’ union will now have more than a year to negotiate a new CBA. The WNBA said in a post on X that the goal is to have a new CBA by the beginning of the 2026 regular season; that would prevent any strike or lockout for the league.

“With the historic 2024 WNBA season now in the books, we look forward to working together with the players and the WNBPA on a new CBA that is fair for all and lays the foundation for growth and success for years to come,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a statement.

The WNBPA outlined five key negotiation priorities in their opt-out announcement: a new economic model, player salaries, minimum professional standards, retirement benefits, and pregnancy and family planning benefits.

The players’ union is hoping to introduce pensions and other retirement benefits, similar to other major leagues. Currently, the league only offers a 401k.

The union wants minimum standards for practice and game facilities, as well as travel accommodations. Multiple WNBA franchises, including the Chicago Sky and Connecticut Sun, currently practice in spaces shared with the public. The league did introduce charter flights for the full season in 2024, following some players being followed or harassed at the airport.

The players’ union wants to create an equity-based model within the league, and it says the current system “imposes arbitrary and restrictive caps on the value and benefits players receive.” Currently, players only receive revenue sharing profits if the league hits its “cumulative revenue target” for the season. Then, they will receive 50% of shared revenue after that target was hit; 25% will be shared between the players that were on a WNBA roster during the regular season, and the other 25% will be added to the money the WNBA pays players in the offseason for marketing agreements.

One of the most talked-about aspects of the CBA has been player salaries, which are extremely low compared to other major sports leagues like the NFL, NBA, and MLB. The salary cap for the 2024 season was just over $1.4 million for all 12 players on a roster, a supermax salary was $241,984. Rookie-scale salaries start as low as $66,000 for third-round picks, and the highest starts at $78,000 for picks 1-4.

With increased revenue, as well as a new 11-year media deal that will bring in over $200 million a year, the players are looking for higher salaries from the league.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: WNBPA opts out of collective bargaining agreement