Los Angeles Sparks star Kelsey Plum knows the importance of the players and league coming together on a new collective-bargaining agreement (CBA) before it’s too late. Plum, who also serves as the WNBPA’s vice president, stressed that the players want to play this season, and said a strike would be “the worst thing for both sides.”
Plum added that the players will continue to negotiate in the hopes of getting a new deal done “in a timely fashion.”
Last Monday, the WNBA floated a March 10 deadline for the new CBA. If a new deal isn’t reached by that date, the 2026 WNBA season could be affected.
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In an attempt to try and hit that deadline, the WNBA reportedly submitted a new CBA counterproposal Sunday, New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart told ESPN’s Alexa Philippou.
While the specifics of that counterproposal are not known at this time, the fact that both Plum and Stewart felt compelled to discuss labor issues on Monday is an indication that the league’s latest proposal fell short.
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That’s been a common refrain from both sides during the offseason. Proposals and counterproposals have been met with criticism from both the WNBA and the WNBPA, mostly over revenue sharing.
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After a particularly tense back-and-forth near the end of February, in which the WNBA called a revenue-sharing proposal from the WNBPA “unrealistic,” the two sides still appeared to be pretty far apart. The league has sent at least two more counterproposals since then, and it actually does appear there’s been progress made on the revenue-sharing situation, Stewart said Monday.
Stewart also noted that NBA commissioner Adam Silver, who said he would step in and assist with negotiations, has not been present on calls. Like Plum, Stewart cautioned against a strike, saying, “I don’t think a strike is good for anyone.”
With the WNBA’s deadline fast approaching, the players have the authority to make that move if an agreement isn’t reached. The players authorized that ability in December, though some have reportedly had second thoughts based on how negotiations have progressed.
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Whether it comes to that depends on how things progress over the next few days. Stewart seemed to provide some optimism that at least one major issue is closer to a resolution, but admitted both sides need to refine their offers in order for a deal to get done.
