CBA conversations called ‘not constructive’ by union leader

The WNBA season is still hanging in the balance of negotiations between the league and the union, and it looks like there has not been any progress made. The union sent a proposal about four weeks ago, but the league has yet to respond. In fact, they don’t think they have to respond because they’re waiting for a more realistic proposal, according to a report from ESPN.

WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike recently spoke about the standstill between both sides, and she thinks that it’s concerning that they haven’t responded to their proposal.

“It’s not a constructive way to continue on these negotiations, especially considering the timeline that we’re in,” Ogwumike said via Front Office Sports. “To give the excuse that our proposal was not adequate is concerning.”

The union is looking for a $10.5 million salary cap and a 30% share of the league’s gross revenue, which would make the average player salary over $800,000. They’re also looking to eliminate the core designation, reduce the length of rookie-scale contracts, secure financial support for mental health care, and other things.

The league’s last proposal included a max base salary of $1 million, which could increase to more than $1.3 million, but with a proposed share of 70% of net revenue. The union did not want to feel like they had to pay the league back in that proposal, and the average salary in that situation would be about $530,000 with revenue sharing factored in.

“I don’t think we’re being pressured because of the timeline at the expense of what we’re really trying to negotiate,” Ogwumike said. “I don’t mean that we’re being disrespectful of the time. We know something like this takes time. If we can do this the right way, it will get done in a way that will be something we can be proud of and have a season.”

With the season less than 100 days away, it’s uncertain if a deal will get done.

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