The WNBPA executive committee issued a statement of unity Wednesday, a day after reports of a divide among players and less than a week before the WNBA’s self-imposed March 10 drop-dead date for collective bargaining negotiations to ensure a full 2026 season.
In the statement, the players union wrote: “In every CBA negotiation, the goal of the league and teams is to divide the players. These negotiations are no different. We remain united and focused on delivering a transformational CBA for all members of this Union, and are committed to negotiating for as long as it takes.”
Players want to play in 2026, but the current league proposal is “not worth taking,” according to the union. The statement was signed by all seven executive committee members.
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The remarks come during a tenuous time in the negotiations. The past week has publicly exposed some fissures in the executive committee. As reported by ESPN, WNBPA first vice president Kelsey Plum and vice president Breanna Stewart, who are members of the executive committee, sent a letter to union executive director Terri Jackson Monday expressing their concerns about the bargaining process and a lack of player involvement.
Per ESPN, Plum and Stewart wanted more access to specific details of the proposals, including a breakdown of the WNBA’s expenses in the revenue-sharing system, the new rookie-scale contracts and licensing revenue. They also want to analyze the losses the players would incur during a strike-shortened season.
The letter came on the heels of Plum and Stewart voicing their support for the WNBA’s latest CBA proposal at Unrivaled media availability. Both players called the league’s inclusion of revenue sharing a win, which has been a major negotiating wedge between the sides, even if it is a split of revenue after expenses. They oppose striking at this point in the process.
Those comments represent a change in tone among players. Since opting out of the previous CBA on Oct. 21, 2024, the union had been mostly united in its support of a transformational CBA that would guarantee the players a stake in the economic growth of the WNBA. It’s been broadly critical of the league’s proposals that denied players access to a majority of the WNBA’s revenue.
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In December at Team USA mini-camp, Plum said: “It’s a little bit disheartening, just frustration in the negotiation and how far away we are.” The players voted to allow the executive committee to authorize a strike on Dec. 18 as an “affirmation of the players’ confidence in their leadership and their unwavering solidarity against ongoing efforts to divide, conquer and undervalue them.”
The WNBA’s proposed salary framework is largely similar to what it was in December. At the time of the strike vote, the league’s proposal included average salaries of more than $530,000 in 2026, and total compensation for maximum players would exceed $1.3 million. The WNBA’s latest proposal, submitted on March 1, would result in average salaries of $540,000 in 2026.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
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