WNBA Union Highlights Big Gap With NBA Health Benefits

Knicks forward Guershon Yabusele could play closer to home in Europe, where the French man once played a key role for powerhouse Real Madrid. The EuroLeague’s top salaries are similar to his two-year, $12 million deal with New York, plus he could also fill a prominent role compared to coming off the bench.

In recent years, European players like Nikola Mirotic and Nemanja Bjelica have picked playing in their home continent instead of extending their NBA careers. Nuggets center Jonas Valančiūnas reportedly tried to do the same last summer.

But Yabusele told YouTuber Just Riadh last week that he prefers to play in the U.S. because of the NBA’s healthcare benefits.

“If you play three years in the NBA, you get a lifetime pension. After four seasons, medical expenses are covered for life,” Yabusele said in French. “And after five years, the medical coverage is extended to the entire family. I want to play for five years here in the NBA so that my family can benefit from that lifetime care. You never know what can happen in life.”

He corrected himself Tuesday on X/Twitter, saying that it would take nine seasons for an NBA player to have lifetime medical expenses covered and 10 seasons to cover immediate family, as laid out in the CBA. But his rationale remained the same: the post-career benefits of the NBA are excellent.

“Only in the United States,” Yabusele wrote in French.

And only for the men. The benefits for WNBA players pale in comparison, which Mystics forward Shakira Austin highlighted in a post quoting Yabusele.

“Must be niceeee, over here they telling vets to pay for a flight to All-Star weekend to get checked by a doc in a pop up tent,” Austin wrote on X/Twitter Tuesday.

WNBA players only have a limited number of post-career benefits written in the current CBA, including a 401(k) retirement plan and family planning reimbursement (i.e. adoption, surrogacy, fertility treatment) for players with at least eight years of service.

Unlike the NBA, which owns about 42% of the WNBA, players cannot earn health insurance for their families after retirement. (The NFL also offers retired players and their families full health coverage for five years after retirement for players who spent three years on a roster.)

Austin’s comments come as the WNBA is in the middle of negotiations with its union on a new CBA, where player benefits are a point of contention alongside increased player salaries tied to revenue sharing. 

The WNBPA backed Austin through an Instagram Story posted Tuesday showing Austin and Yabusele’s comments.

“Player health isn’t optional! Our athletes deserve real, long-term medical care, not temporary fixes. We stand with our players and will keep pushing for benefits that reflect their value and sacrifice,” the WNBPA wrote in a caption.

The deadline for the WNBA and its union to reach an agreement is Friday, though WNBPA vice president Breanna Stewart said Thursday that the two sides will not come to an agreement by the deadline.