WNBA All-Stars Put on ‘Pay Us’ T-Shirts Amid Ongoing CBA Deal Negotiations

WNBA gamers on each Workforce Clark and Workforce Collier, together with enormous stars like Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese, wore “Pay Us What You Owe Us” t-shirts throughout warm-ups forward of Saturday evening’s All-Star Recreation.

The shirts come after the gamers and the league failed to achieve a brand new collective bargaining settlement at an in-person assembly Thursday. The league’s gamers opted out of their final CBA in October, and they’re searching for a greater revenue-sharing mannequin, elevated salaries, improved advantages and a softer wage cap after unprecedented success with file attendance and TV scores in 2024.

After the failed negotiations, many gamers stated there was a big discrepancy between what they wished and what the league was providing. If a brand new CBA will not be reached by October, some gamers have talked about the potential of a walkout.

Presently, 20% of league income goes to participant salaries. For 2025, salaries ranged from a minimal of $66,000 to an excellent most of roughly $250,000, per Sports activities Illustrated. The staff wage cap is roughly $1.5 million, whereas the staff payroll minimal is $1.2 million, per Her Hoop Stats. The typical wage this yr is $102,249, per Spotrac.

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert feels optimistic that the league and the gamers’ union will have the ability to come to a brand new deal sooner or later, even when it is after the tip of October deadline. 

Whereas the 2 sides are far aside proper now after assembly this week for the primary time in particular person since December, Engelbert has religion {that a} “transformational” deal will get completed.

“I am nonetheless actually optimistic that we’ll get one thing carried out … and that subsequent yr at All-Star, we’ll be speaking about how nice all the pieces is,” she stated Saturday. “Clearly, there’s a number of laborious work to be carried out on each side to get there.”

Engelbert stated that extra conferences are deliberate sooner or later. “I’ve confidence we are able to get one thing carried out by October, however I’m not going to place a precise date on it,” she stated. “We’ve received some room to proceed negotiations if we’re shut at that time.”

There’s some huge cash coming into the league over the subsequent few years with a brand new 11-year media rights deal value over $2.2 billion, three new growth groups that every paid $250 million in charges and lots of new sponsors.

The gamers’ prime priorities are enormously elevated salaries and a revenue-sharing plan, which Engelbert understands. 

“We’re going to do one thing transformational right here as a result of we wish the identical issues because the gamers, however we wish to considerably improve their wage and advantages whereas balancing with our house owners, their capacity to have a path to profitability, in addition to in to continued funding,” she stated.

Different areas that Engelbert mentioned included globalization, officiating and scheduling. 

Engelbert talked about making an attempt to develop the footprint of the league around the globe extra. The league will welcome its first staff outdoors the U.S. subsequent yr with the addition of the Toronto Tempo. Engelbert talked about Europe, the Center East, Asia and Africa as locations that would have enormous curiosity within the WNBA.

“I feel we’re actually sturdy domestically now,” she stated. “There [are] an enormous [number] of prospects to show these gamers into a worldwide family being stars that they’ve now develop into right here in america domestically.”

The consistency of officiating has been a subject that gamers and coaches have been discussing loads this season and Engelbert stated that the league is conscious and can consider it.

“I understand consistency is the secret and I feel it is one thing we positively want to take a look at and consider,” Engelbert stated. “There’s an unbiased analysis of our officers and there are ramifications. It is one thing we have to proceed to work on. As our recreation evolves, so does our officiating, so we’re on it.”

Engelbert additionally stated that the league would have a look at presumably increasing the size of the season sooner or later on the finish of the season. The WNBA cannot actually begin any earlier due to the NCAA Match, however it might go into early November. There is a good shot that may occur subsequent yr with the FIBA World Cup happening in early September.

The Related Press contributed to this report.

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