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WNBA and player’s union agree to eight-year labor deal

By Brad Berreman

LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 22: Nneka Ogwumike #30 of the Los Angeles Sparks talks with the media after the game against the Connecticut Sun after Game Three of the 2019 WNBA Semifinals on September 22, 2019 at the Walter Pyramid in Long Beach, California NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 22: Nneka Ogwumike #30 of the Los Angeles Sparks talks with the media after the game against the Connecticut Sun after Game Three of the 2019 WNBA Semifinals on September 22, 2019 at the Walter Pyramid in Long Beach, California NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The WNBA and the player’s union are lined up for extended labor peace, with a reported eight-year CBA coming.

There didn’t seem to be a real threat to the 2020 season being played, but on Tuesday morning the WNBA and it’s players union announced a tentative agreement on an eight-year labor deal that will go through 2027.

The key parts of the deal are rooted in player compensation and benefits. Average annual compensation will reach six figures for the first time ($130,000), and with other benefits, the league’s top players could make more $500,000 per year. Annual base pay for the league’s highest-paid player will go from $117,500 to $215,000.

Naturally, the WNBA’s salary cap will rise too, from $996,100 to $1.3 million. In 2021, there’s a chance for a 50-50 revenue split if revenue growth targets are reached.

Players who complete their contracts and have more than five years of experience can become unrestricted free agents unless they are tagged as a “core” player (think similarly to the franchise tag in the NFL). The number of times someone can be tagged as a core player will drop from four to three this year and then drop to two times in 2022.

Further details of the new agreement are really tailored to female athletes. Players will get their full salary while on maternity leave, with a $5,000 annual child care stipend and a guarantee of a two-bedroom apartment for players with children who need it. Further family planning benefits include up to $60,000 in reimbursement for adoption, surrogacy, cryopreservation (freezing eggs for later use) and fertility treatment expenses.

The new CBA is will also allow for better pathways to career opportunities after someone’s playing career is over, along with improved mental health benefits and resources. Counseling and education regarding intimate partner violence will also be bolstered.

The new WNBA labor agreement also includes better travel accommodations, with premium economy class seating guaranteed for all players and individual hotel rooms for each player.

Next. 2020 WNBA Mock Draft Big Board 4.0. dark

WNBA players routinely play their usual season in the summer, then play overseas during typical basketball season to really get paid well. This new collective bargaining agreement should help change that, along with enhanced benefits catered to making the player experience better all the way around. This type of wide-ranging agreement is truly overdue for the WNBA and the players.

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