In the WNBA, player-sanctioned strikeouts

In WNBAnegotiations on a new collective agreement between the league and the players’ union (VNBPA) continue. Thanks to an agreement signed on November 30, the two camps now have until January 9 to find a common language. After this deadline, the start of the next season could be disrupted.

A possibility that the players’ union is beginning to prepare for. This Friday, 93% of players took part in a vote to determine whether they are in favor of striking if no deal is reached.

Of this panel of 93% of players, 98% of them said they were in favor of this strike, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to happen. In fact, it allows the executive committee to then vote to call a strike if it is deemed necessary, which has never happened since the creation of the WNBA in 1996.

“(This vote) is a symbol of our unity and the trust we have in each other to be able to give ourselves a certain level of authority in these negotiations,” says the president of the players’ unionNneka Ogwumike. “It means we can strike if we need to, but not if we want to. Now we have in our arsenal a way to get exactly what we want.”

Stagnant negotiations

Despite this new vote, nothing has evolved in the negotiations between the two camps, and the players’ union continues to refuse to set the salary cap with a fixed increase while the WNBA experiences unprecedented growth that should continue in the coming years.

For its part, the WNBPA (players’ union) proposed a model where the players would return 30% of the league’s revenue, but this idea does not fit with the league’s financial estimates.

Even if negotiations do not move forward, Nneka Ogwumike claims he wants to participate in the 2026 season: “ We’re looking for a good deal and we’re willing to do anything to get it, knowing that we want the 2026 season. We want to make sure this season is the best it can be. I am an optimist. I want to play and I know I will get a satisfactory deal for the players thanks to the incredible leadership of the executive board. I look forward to seeing how we can work better together in the future. »

Meanwhile, WNBA players not playing in Europe will return to the courts on January 5 for the start of the second edition from the “Bez Preca” league.