NEW YORK (AP) — Nneka Ogwumike and the other members of the WNBA players’ union executive committee felt that movement was being made toward a new collective bargaining agreement after nine hours of negotiations Wednesday night.
“We want to play. We’ve heard that from the other side as well,” Ogwumike, the union president, said just before midnight. “We need to see a more robust demonstration of that.”
Wednesday’s negotiating session came on the heels of a marathon 12-hour meeting that began at 5 p.m. EDT on Tuesday. The sides plan to speak again Thursday.
“That first day was a lot, but I think what we’re feeling is like movement, you know, being able to be in the room, being able to exchange proposals,” Ogwumike said.
Ogwumike said the sides have exchanged seven proposals over the last two days and the union was waiting for one from the league. WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said the league sent a new offer to the union after the players had left for the night.
“Our proposal on the table is a real historic and transformational deal for these players,” Engelbert said. “Huge gains and salaries, benefits, everything you’re seeing, but beyond that when you see the whole thing. huge, huge benefits. … We’re proud of the deal we have on the table. I think it’s, again, huge gains for the players, while again, balancing that with the health of the league.”
In its latest proposal, the league has increased its salary cap offer for the first year to $6.2 million — up from $5.75 million in previous negotiations, a person familiar with the talks told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the discussions.
Last year, the salary cap for each team was $1.5 million. Average player salaries were $120,000, and that figure stands to increase fourfold to $570,000 the first year and $850,000 by the sixth year, according to the person. The maximum salary in the first year would be over $1.3 million and nearly $2 million by the final year.
The executive committee taking part in negotiations also includes Breanna Stewart, Alysha Clark and Brianna Turner along with union executive director Terri Carmichael Jackson. The league was represented by Engelbert, head of league operations Bethany Donaphin and New York Liberty owner Clara Wu Tsai. Connecticut Sun president Jen Rizzotti joined the negotiating team Wednesday.
“I just want to say as a former player, I don’t know that I ever thought I would see the day that such a transformational deal would be offered and on the table for these players and proud of that,” Rizzotti said. “And at the same time, I think time is of the essence to get this deal done. And that’s what we’re working for.”
Revenue sharing and housing are key sticking points between the sides, as well as assigning a franchise tag to a player and benefits for retired players.
The league had said that at least a handshake agreement on a labor deal would need to be done by Tuesday to start the season as scheduled.
“We’ve got to get this deal done. We’ve got to get it done soon,” Engelbert said early Wednesday morning.
Ogwumike said the union never saw the Tuesday deadline as a real thing.
“We haven’t ever really considered that as a timeline that’s been something to prioritize on our side, because we have always been negotiating in good faith,” she said.
When a deal is reached in principle, the league has said it would need a few weeks to finish off the CBA. After that work is done, the expansion draft for new franchises in Portland and Toronto would be held sometime between April 1-6, according to a timetable obtained by the AP.
Free agent qualifying offers, including franchise player tags, would be sent out April 7-8. Teams would then have three days to negotiate with the more than 80% of players who are free agents. The signing period would take place from April 12-18.
Training camps would open the next day and the season would be able to start on May 8.
But for any of that to happen, the two sides have to figure out a revenue sharing model. The union’s proposal from a week ago had asked for an average of 26% of the gross revenue — revenue before expenses — over the course of the CBA. That would include only 25% in the first year. The league has said that number was unrealistic.
The WNBA’s last few proposals have offered more than 70% of net revenue, with that number going up as the league continues to grow.
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