The WNBA has never been as popular as it is today, which is perhaps good timing for the league.
The league’s collective bargaining agreement with the players union expires Oct. 31, 2025, leaving a possible work stoppage on the table.
The Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) opted out of the deal last year, saying at the time it was looking for “a business model that reflects (players’) true value, encompassing higher salaries, enhanced professional working conditions, expanded health benefits and crucial investments needed for long-term growth.”
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With no deal in place, WNBPA director Terri Jackson said players will negotiate “as long as it takes” to get a fair deal.
“There’s no better moment than right now for women’s sports and particularly for women’s basketball and particularly for us. So, are we seizing on every level? Absolutely,” Jackson recently said, via the New York Post.
“We’ve been aggressive in terms of our discussions, our proposals — plural — and our meeting schedule. It’s a group project. We’ve doing our part of it, and we’re just hopeful that the league sees the opportunity to have those kinds of milestones really in place, like work towards significant progress. It’s not just a catch phrase — significant progress by the halfway points and work toward completion by Oct. 31.
“Certainly, we can’t come this far from last season and this season then start going backwards. That won’t be accessible,” Jackson added. “I don’t think anybody on the league or the team side wants that.”
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In March, Angel Reese admitted players could be “sitting out” … “if y’all don’t give us what we want.”
Like Jackson, Reese also said players are “prepared to stay at the negotiating table for as long as it takes.”
Reese signed a four-year, $324,383 rookie contract ahead of her first WNBA season in 2024. She made under $75,000 in her first year and will make less than that in 2025.
In October, Reese said she couldn’t afford to pay her bills based on that salary in an Instagram Live video.
Last season, the WNBA had its most-watched regular season in 24 years and its highest attendance in 22. Over 2.3 million people attended WNBA games in 2024, a 48% increase from 2023.
Fox News’ Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.
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