The WNBA and its players’ union are at a crossroads.
One path can get them back on track towards reaching a new collective bargaining agreement by the October 31 deadline. The other could lead to a work stoppage.
The Women’s National Basketball Players Association and top league brass will meet in person Thursday afternoon in Indianapolis ahead of the All-Star Game.
Union president Nneka Ogwumike said earlier this month the meeting will influence the tone of negotiations moving forward.
“I could feel more confident going into Indy,” Ogwumike said. “But I’ve also been in a meeting at All-Star where a lot came out of it. We’re in the meat of the season. We’ll know more perhaps after this CBA meeting in Indy…When you’re sitting at the table, things a lot of times, in my experience, get done a little bit more efficiently.”
The New York Post reported Tuesday that players are “bracing” for a potential work stoppage as negotiations have gone slowly.
A gulf remains between the sides ahead of the Indianapolis meeting. The union has been clear from the moment they opted out of the current CBA last October that they wanted a better revenue sharing model, increased salaries, improved benefits, and a softer salary cap.
After the WNBPA submitted numerous proposals, the WNBA finally countered with an offer that many players said they staunchly disapproved of because of its fixed salary cap structure. Multiple players have already said they will attend Thursday’s meeting, including Fever star Caitlin Clark.
“The meetings that are going to happen in Indianapolis are going to be really important,” Clark said. “Although I’m not our team rep or on the committee, I’m still trying to understand and engage as much as possible. This is my second year in the league, but also this is a very important time for our league and where it’s going to continue to grow. So, you know, I’m certainly looking forward to those meetings and being in them, and I think everybody in our league is to help these CBA talks continue to move forward.”
This will be the WNBPA’s second in-person meeting with the league after one in December. If there’s not a new CBA by the Oct. 31 deadline, players could strike or be locked out by the owners, which could present immediate issues. The expansion draft for the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo is expected to take place in December, and free agency typically begins in January.
The WNBA has never lost games to a work stoppage, although labor negotiations in the 2003 offseason delayed that April’s draft by a week.
