great progress in negotiations between the league and the players

The WNBA it must continue 8. of but no collective agreement has yet been concluded. For this continuation to go smoothly, the women’s league and the players’ union (VNBPA) must reach an agreement before March 10. After months of discussions, it appears that discussions are accelerating as this deadline approaches.

Talks have intensified in recent days. This is how the VNBA responded to the union’s new proposal, submitted at the end of last week. If no agreement has yet been reached, Kelsey Plum believes that this counterproposal represents a big step forward for players.

“I want to play and the players want to play”underscores the Los Angeles Sparks player. “We will continue to negotiate and we will do everything to reach an agreement on time. A strike would be the worst thing for both sides, because we share the revenue. If there is no revenue, there is nothing to share.”

Strike averted?

At the heart of the exchange is always the issue of income distribution. The WNBA thus demanded 26% of the VNBA’s gross revenue for the players, which would allow salaries to be tied to increased revenue for the league and its franchises, when the VNBA offered 70% of the net revenue to the players, or less than 15% of the gross revenue explaining that the desired mechanism would lead to the loss of players.

However, in its latest proposal, the VNBA took a clear step toward the VNBPA by proposing for the first time a system that ties player salaries to future revenue increases.

“We can continue to negotiate without a strike,” assures Kelsey Plum. « If you look at the evolution from when I came into the league to now, when I’m in the revenue sharing system, it’s a huge win. We will continue to negotiate. We will not compromise, but I am very proud to be a part of this moment that will change the history of women’s sports. »

Kelsey Plum wasn’t the only one to welcome this development. They joined her Breanna Stewartsecond vice president of the players’ union.

Exploding salaries

“We have to understand that the revenue sharing system is a win” admits the founder of Bez embac. “If the league makes money, we make money too.”

Among other proposals from the VNBA reported ESPNthere is getting max contracts for players still on their rookie deal. The League proposes that players selected to the All-VNBA First or Second Team be eligible for a maximum contract beginning in their fourth year in the League. The same rule would apply to a player who wins the MVP trophy during his rookie contract.

Enough to blow up in the short term, as the league’s proposal calls for a salary cap of nearly $1.3 million in 2026 and is expected to approach $2 million in 2031. As a reminder, the cap through the 2025 season was $249,000.

The average salary for female players is expected to reach $540,000 in 2026 and $780,000 in 2031, from $120,000 in 2025, while the minimum wage would rise from $66,000 to more than $230,000.