Women have made significant progress in every aspect of life. They have managed to establish themselves as elite athletes both individually and collectively; however, it seems that many still view them as far below an equality that should already be firmly in place.
This context matters because, in the collective bargaining negotiations between the WNBA and the players, it appears the league wants to offer shiny trinkets in hopes they will accept what is being put on the table, all to unlock the mess that these financial talks have become.
And it also seems the professional women’s basketball league is not taking the task of reaching a fair resolution particularly seriously. Since December, negotiations have been locked in a constant tug-of-war, with concessions and demands being traded back and forth as each side seeks benefits for those involved.
The labor relations committee, team owners, league representatives, and players met in person to continue discussions aimed at reaching a better agreement that benefits everyone at the table.
The meeting that led nowhere between the WNBA and the players
This most recent meeting lasted three hours, during which the main issues were addressed so that each side’s position and expectations could be clearly laid out in pursuit of a viable agreement.
They volunteered that they did not have a proposal prepared at the top of the meeting,” “That kind of set the tone for the conversation because we were hoping to hear otherwise.
WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike told Front Office Sports.
Positions appear to be firmly entrenched on both sides, but the WNBA’s proposals are, to put it mildly, laughable.
The WNBA has a clear stance and seems unwilling to move from it
Reporter Ramona Shelburne shared some of the details that emerged from the meeting, and there was one particular point that caused eyebrows to rise among those who learned about it.
One of the league’s core ideas is to raise player salaries in line with league growth and ensure long-term financial health. This proposal includes a maximum salary of $1.3 million and an average salary of $530,000. The model was tied to a revenue framework that allows a percentage of the combined profits of the league and teams to be deducted.
This did not sit well with the players and became the breaking point. What the players were seeking was a collective salary cap of $10.5 million, representing a significant $5 million increase over what the WNBA currently offers, along with a revenue-sharing model that would allocate 30% of gross revenues to the players.
It is expected that the league will return with a new proposal. And one detail that truly stood out was that Ramona Shelburne shared on her X account that the players were offered “Free WNBA League Pass.”
Naturally, this sparked immediate reactions from fans, unleashing a wave of mockery and criticism across social media platforms.
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