Latest news with #WNBPA
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Nick Wright drops' ‘losers' take on critics of WNBA players' salary demands
The post Nick Wright drops' 'losers' take on critics of WNBA players' salary demands appeared first on ClutchPoints. Prior to the start of the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game, the players made a huge statement when they wore a shirt that read 'Pay What You Owe Us'. This is part of the WNBPA's (Women's National Basketball Player's Association) continued bid to receive a higher portion of the revenue the league is bringing in. This made waves on social media, as the most prominent players in the league, including Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark, joined in this stunning protest. As is the case with this sort of thing, the response was divisive. Many fans clowned the WNBA players for wanting a higher portion of pay, arguing that the league simply isn't as profitable as the NBA is. But the WNBPA wasn't arguing to be paid as much as the men. They simply wanted a higher percentage of the total revenue of the league. At present, players are receiving just 9.3 percent of league revenue. Meanwhile, the basketball-related income in the NBA is split 50/50 between players and owners. This is a part of the equation that many fans who make fun of the women's game simply cannot comprehend. And Nick Wright of Fox Sports called those who don't understand this such 'utter losers'. 'The story is how many people are such utter losers. Nobody serious is arguing that the WNBA players and the NBA players should make the same amount of money. But nobody serious can actually think that Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers making $70 some grand a year is a proper payment for services rendered,' Wright said in his rant on his show, What's Wright? 'Is there any capitalistic endeavor where someone of Caitlin Clark's quality would make less than $80,000 a year? And the answer is no. It is just outrageous, the amount of people, that were like, 'Pipe down, ladies. Be happy.' So many losers are just bootlicking management sellouts.' Caitlin Clark, WNBPA look to follow in USWNT's footsteps The USWNT used to earn peanuts despite winning World Cups. But after ratifying the groundbreaking equal pay agreement, the men and women's soccer team now split all earnings. But it also took them a little while to get where they want to be, revenue share-wise. They had to protest peacefully as well, and it worked. Now, the WNBPA will be looking to enact such a change as well, and considering the league's increased draw over the past few seasons, then that change may not be as far into the future as one might think. Related: WNBA rumors: Why financial losses are irrelevant in CBA negotiations Related: WNBA All-Star Weekend sets all kinds of viewership history
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
WNBA, WNBPA CBA meeting gets extremely important update
The post WNBA, WNBPA CBA meeting gets extremely important update appeared first on ClutchPoints. More than 40 WNBA players gathered in Indianapolis on Thursday, July 17, for an in-person meeting with the league as part of ongoing negotiations over a new collective bargaining agreement, or CBA. It marked the largest in-person turnout by union members in WNBPA history during CBA talks. The meeting between the Women's National Basketball Players Association and WNBA officials lasted a couple of hours, per Kendra Andrews of ESPN, and concluded without a resolution. In a statement issued after the session — shared on X, formerly Twitter, by Andrews — the union expressed disappointment with the league's latest proposal, calling it insufficient. 'The WNBA's response to our proposals fails to address the priorities we've voiced from the day we opted out: a transformational CBA that delivers our rightful share of the business that we've built, improves working conditions, and ensures the success we create lifts both today's players and the generations that follow,' the WNBPA said in a public statement. The union emphasized that player demands have been clearly communicated and criticized the league for undervaluing the labor that has helped drive the league's growth. 'Media rights, ratings, revenue, team valuations, expansion fees, attendance, and ticket sales — are all up in historic fashion,' the statement continued. 'But short-changing the working women who make this business possible stalls growth.' The current CBA expires at the end of October, and players voted last fall to opt out in order to seek better terms. If no agreement is reached by the deadline, a potential lockout looms. Union president Nneka Ogwumike had previously expressed hope that face-to-face dialogue would ease tensions, but the WNBPA ultimately left the meeting unsatisfied. 'We are committed to the fight,' the union said. 'We are committed to returning to the negotiating table. And we will not stop until we achieve the transformational CBA this moment demands.' Further negotiations are expected in the coming months as both sides work toward an agreement before the offseason. Related: WNBA stars Candace Parker, Aliyah Boston team up on new career venture Related: Aces' Jackie Young latest to ink shoe deal after linking up with Skechers
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
WNBA Players send blunt message with All-Star Game shirts after CBA meeting
The post WNBA Players send blunt message with All-Star Game shirts after CBA meeting appeared first on ClutchPoints. The 2025 WNBA All-Star game saw players make a bold statement during warmups with their choice of attire. The game tipped off at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse at 8:30 p.m. ET on July 19 between Team Clark and Team Collier. However, during the warmups, all players were seen wearing shirts emblazoned with the slogan 'Pay Us What You Owe Us,' a direct message to WNBA officials. The All-Star game takes place just two days after the largest in-person turnout in WNBPA history. Over 40 players, including Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Paige Bueckers, Breanna Stewart and Skylar Diggins met with league officials at an Indianapolis hotel on Thursday. However, despite the meeting lasting a few hours, a range of players cited a lack of meaningful progress. Executive Director Terri Carmichael Jackson had noted that while there were 'spirited conversations,' progress was yet to be made. Players had initially opted out of the current CBA last October and remain far apart in preliminary discussions. The WNBPA have agreed to another meeting, with some sources stating that a potential walkout may be on the cards if an agreement is not reached by October of this year. The players' frustration was fueled by the WNBA's delayed response to their February proposal, which only came last month. The union wants a new revenue-sharing model tied to booming business metrics. This includes record-breaking attendance, rising team valuations, and a new $2.2 billion media rights deal that starts next season. Speaking after the meeting, New York Liberty veteran Breanna Stewart had called the meeting a 'failed opportunity,' stating that not much progress had been made 'It's not complicated. We are committed to the fight. We are committed to returning to the negotiating table. And we will not stop until we achieve the transformational CBA this moment demands,' a union statement post the meeting said. Related: Jordan brand drops 'Too Easy' basketball musical featuring WNBA, NBA stars Related: WNBA prospects JuJu Watkins, Azzi Fudd among players to sign with Unrivaled
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Cathy Engelbert confident in reaching ‘transformational' WNBA CBA agreement
The post Cathy Engelbert confident in reaching 'transformational' WNBA CBA agreement appeared first on ClutchPoints. WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said Saturday she remains confident the league and players union can reach a 'transformational' new collective bargaining agreement, or CBA, before the current deal expires at the end of October. Engelbert described July 17's negotiations between the league and the WNBPA as 'constructive,' despite player frustration with the pace of talks. More than 40 players attended the meeting, and several expressed disappointment afterward. Players wore warm-up shirts before Saturday's WNBA All-Star Game that read 'Pay Us What You Owe Us,' highlighting the ongoing tension around compensation and revenue sharing. 'Communication is important, and having that meeting, being at the table, was important with that scale of players,' Engelbert said, as reported by Alexa Philippou of ESPn 'I really respect the players listening. They're listening to our owners, and we're kind of in the middle as the league, trying to make sure we're setting this league up for success for decades.' Revenue sharing central issue to WNBA CBA A central issue remains how revenue is shared. Engelbert said the league's proposal includes multiple models for increased revenue sharing and emphasized the league's growth since the current CBA was signed in 2020. 'We want the same things as the players want,' she said. 'We want to significantly increase their salary and benefits while balancing … owners' ability to have a path to profitability.' Players, however, say the league's proposal falls short. 'It's two fundamentally different systems,' WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike said. 'We want to have a better share where our salaries grow with the business, and not just a fixed percentage over time.' In addition to addressing the ongoing CBA talks, Engelbert also spoke on several other hot topics, including the league's work on expansion draft rules for incoming teams in Toronto and Portland, addressed officiating concerns and evaluating changes to the All-Star Game format. She noted that while the 2026 season will likely extend into November due to the FIBA World Cup, most seasons should still end by mid-October. Related: JuJu Watkins, Azzi Fudd among 14 NCAA basketball stars to ink Unrivaled NIL deals Related: Tamika Catchings, Dawn Staley have legendary link up at WNBA All-Star Game
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
WNBA CBA negotiations: What's at stake, what players want and what's next amid historic labor fight
The lasting photograph of the 2025 WNBA All-Star game isn't a screenshot of the "Stud Budz" stream or a snapshot of Sabrina Ionescu and Caitlin Clark wildly waving for a replay review. It's the collective statement issued when players zipped off their warm-ups to display a stark black 'Pay Us What You Owe Us' T-shirt, delivering a rallying cry to the growing number of fans they've collected in recent years. The moment placed the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) negotiations between the league and its players at center stage. Players utilized their opt-out the day after the 2024 WNBA Finals, and submitted a proposal and follow-up to league representatives earlier this year. Ahead of last week's All-Star festivities in Indianapolis, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, the league's CBA committee and WNBA Players Association (WNBPA) met in person for the first time in this process and didn't find much common ground. Already in the works, the players involved in the All-Star Game opted to wear the shirts and broadcast their stance. With the second half of the season already underway and time ticking to the CBA deadline in three months, here are the biggest questions (and answers) around the negotiating table. What do players want? The players are tunnel-vision on a salary and revenue-sharing system. Sparks veteran guard Kelsey Plum, WNBPA first vice president, described it as wanting a piece of the entire pie, not just a piece of part of the pie. That includes pieces of media rights fees, team ticket sales and jersey revenue. Since people are tuning in to see the players, many said, it's only fair the players take part in the financial windfalls happening league-wide in the future. They want a revenue-sharing model that allows their salaries to grow as the league grows. 'I want people to understand that basically we get a very tiny percentage of all the money that's made through the WNBA, which obviously is through our entertainment, the entertainment we provide,' veteran Lynx forward Napheesa Collier said after winning All-Star MVP. 'And so we want a fair and reasonable percentage of that.' The league maximum salary is around $250,000. It went up a fixed amount annually, as stipulated in the CBA, and is a large increase from the $119,000 max of the last CBA. The salary cap also increases, but at a lower rate than player salaries. What's the issue in negotiations? Players said the league is set on a fixed revenue sharing proposal. The league and its owners also see the growth, but know the efforts and money it took to help get it there. There is revenue sharing in the current CBA, though it's based on revenue metrics that can then spur payouts. 'We were at a very different place in 2020 than we are in 2025,' Engelbert said on Saturday. 'So, I think you'll see the revenue sharing be a much more lucrative one as we go forward because we're in a better place, quite frankly.' While WNBA team owners are not allowed to speak publicly on the talks, it stands to reason they also want a piece of the pie they haven't always enjoyed. 'That's why I'm so optimistic that we're going to do something transformational here because we want the same things as the players want,' Engelbert said. 'We want to significantly increase their salary and benefits while balancing with our owners, their ability to have a path to profitability as well as continued investment. You see tens of millions of dollars being invested in practice facilities and other player experience by teams. We want to strike the right balance between those two so that can continue.' Is there common ground? The sides appear to be far apart on how they go about revenue sharing, even if everyone believes the players should receive a larger salary and better team benefits moving forward. 'Based on what we saw and based on what we're proposing, it's two fundamentally different systems,' WNBA Players Association president Nneka Ogwumike said after the All-Star Game. 'And one that leans more toward a fixed percentage is what the league is responding to us with and we want to have a better share where our salaries grow with the business and not just a fixed percentage over time.' Players expressed frustration at a lack of movement the day after the meeting. Breanna Stewart, one of the union's vice presidents, said progress was made on only two bullet points related to family planning and retirement benefits. What else is on the table? The players Yahoo Sports spoke to over the last few weeks all unequivocally declared revenue sharing and salaries as the top priority in negotiations. But there are other issues that will likely be discussed as talks continue. Coaches and players have been more vocal this season about the lack of consistency in officiating and aspects of the league's referee model that put it at a disadvantage (no external review center, low pay for referees). Engelbert did not address a direct question on whether she believes it's an issue, saying, 'we take that input.' 'I think some people observe our game versus other basketball formats; there aren't a ton of fouls called,' she said. The schedule will also play into negotiations. The league expanded to the max 44 games granted under the old CBA, but in the same May-to-October footprint. It will be more complicated in Olympic and World Cup years. Engelbert said they would still try to stay in roughly the same calendar footprint. The league will expand to 18 teams by 2030, but players have long been vocal in their desires for roster expansion over team expansion to open up spots. The charter flights the league installed a year ago will need to be codified in the new CBA after the old one did not allow for them. And players are seeking proper investment by team owners, including practice facilities, health and wellness care and top-of-the-line personnel. 'This new CBA that's coming in by us is going to weed out the owners that don't want to invest, or invest just enough to get by and that's not good enough anymore,' Liberty veteran Natasha Cloud said before winning the All-Star skills competition. 'If you're not going to be here to invest, then it's OK. We'll see you at the door,' she said. 'Because someone, somewhere is going to want to invest into this league that continues to boom, that continues to show its worth, its value, and what you (owners) could get out of it as well.' Team owners will likely want to double down on the prioritization clause that keeps players stateside for marketing, health and on-time arrivals to their WNBA teams. 'It's very clear that the league wants to push away all other leagues,' Storm forward Gabby Williams said, specifically citing Unrivaled and Athletes Unlimited. Is the WNBA losing money? Quite possibly, yes. Also, maybe not. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in 2018 that the WNBA loses roughly $10 million a year. Two days before the New York Liberty won their first WNBA championship last fall and three days ahead of the players' opt-out announcement, the New York Post reported the league was set to lose $40 million that season. However, there is no hard data publicly available to prove this claim, and accounting schemes can impact the macro figures of any business. The financials around the league have always been unclear since it is under the umbrella of the NBA, with several teams owned by NBA team owners. The $75 million capital raise in 2022 muddles it further as it involved some NBA/WNBA team owners. The 'losing money' line isn't specific to the WNBA. When NBA players negotiated their CBA in 2011, the league said it lost $300 million per season and that 22 of its 30 teams were losing money. Silver said in July 2015 that 'a significant number of teams are continuing to lose money.' And in 2017, obtained confidential records illustrating losses by 14 teams. According to CNBC's NBA team valuations released in February, two teams (the Clippers and Bucks) were in the red. How does the media rights deal fit in? Engelbert made clear for most of her tenure that a new media rights deal would be a vehicle to 'transform the league,' such as implementing charter flights and better salaries, the way rising media rights deals for men's leagues do the same. She often described it as a 'broken valuation model.' Beginning next year, the WNBA will receive $200 million per season as part of the 11-year, $2.2 billion deal the NBA signed with Disney, Amazon and NBC Universal. Some, including legend Cheryl Miller, feel the price is too low, while others believe the WNBA should have been able to negotiate separately from the NBA to receive its full worth in the marketplace. The league also separately extended its deal with ION. This is the money the players are staking their claim to in CBA negotiations. What league is a fair comparison? For obvious reasons, the WNBA is most commonly compared to the NBA. But it's apples to oranges — the NBA was born 77 years ago; the WNBA turns 30 next year. MLS, founded in 1993 and launched a year before the WNBA, is a better comparison. Even its fight for charter flights is similar. It signed a 10-year, $2.5 billion agreement with Apple in November 2022 after averaging 281,000 viewers in 2021. In its final season on ESPN in 2022, the league averaged 343,000 viewers. MLS said this week it is averaging 120,000 unique viewers on its Apple TV+ Season Pass, though it's unclear what exactly that number charts. The WNBA averaged 372,000 viewers in 2021. In 2024, it averaged 1.19 million on ESPN platforms, 1.1 million on CBS Sports, 670,000 on ION and 678,000 on NBA TV. How are teams valued? Surging valuations show the WNBA is big business. The average WNBA team is valued at $269 million, a 180% increase that's the largest year-over-year uptick ever recorded among major professional sports leagues, according to Sportico's second annual WNBA valuation report released last month. The average team valuation was $96 million a year ago. The Golden State Valkyries lead the pack at $500 million, edging the reigning champion New York Liberty ($420 million, 222% gain). The Valkyries are set to make more than $70 million in revenue, double what any other team made in 2024, per Sportico. The Fever grew 273% to a $335 million valuation with an estimated $34 million in revenue last season (300% increase). WNBA teams are no longer viewed as incorporated add-ons to the NBA business when it comes to standalone sales of franchises, Sportico's Kurt Badenhausen said on the Sports Media with Richard Deitsch podcast. They are now a vital part of the accounting, unlike recent sales of the Lynx within the Timberwolves sale, and the Mercury within the Suns. 'Both of those transactions, the WNBA team was inconsequential,' Badenhausen said. 'It wasn't even part of the conversations in terms of what the price was going to be paid. It was, what are you paying for the NBA team? That conversation would not happen in 2025. That conversation would come up.' What are the players 'owed?' While the situation is similar to the U.S. women's national soccer team's fight for equal pay, it's also drastically different. The USWNT was fighting for the same amount of pay as the U.S. men's national soccer team received for their work from the same employer, the U.S. Soccer Federation. The USWNT argued The WNBA players also aren't fighting for back pay. They're looking toward the money the league is set to bring in — or has already pocketed in some cases — and want what they feel is their rightful piece of the revenue. The three expansion teams announced last month all paid a reported $250 million expansion fee, and key metrics around the league are all up. Engelbert said national TV viewership in its totality is up 23% year over year. The average attendance (11,102) is on pace to break the 1998 record of 10,868, per Across the Timeline. Who is in the room bargaining? The WNBPA executive board attends on behalf of the players, who voted for their representatives. It consists of Ogwumike (president), Plum (first vice president), Elizabeth Williams (secretary), Brianna Turner (treasurer), Alysha Clark (VP), Collier (VP) and Stewart (VP). Each team can have up to two player representatives who relay information to their teams and collect feedback to report up to the execs. More than 40 players, some of whom are not in leadership, attended the meeting in Indianapolis. 'A lot of times negotiations start heating up right when playoffs start,' Ogwumike said before the All-Star Game. 'So I don't anticipate us having another meeting with that many players, and I wish we would have capitalized more in the conversation that we had with the league [on Thursday].' The league has its own CBA committee that includes members of the Board of Governors. Legal counsel also attends. Are there conflicts of interest? Yes, though this has been a reality of the league dating back to its inception. The majority of players held second jobs on clubs overseas until recently, and even now, many play in domestic leagues Unrivaled and Athletes Unlimited during the long WNBA offseason. Those are extra considerations for players as they think of what they want included or excluded from the CBA. The prioritization clause that owners insisted upon in the last CBA negotiations is an example. There may be concerns with pushing the schedule out deeper into November, as it would cut into overseas leagues. Collier and Stewart are in a unique position. The duo launched Unrivaled, a 3x3 league featuring much of the WNBA's top talent, this past offseason. The company is based in Miami, announced 14 future players through NIL and operated an activation at All-Star that drew long lines throughout the weekend. Collier drafted her WNBA All-Star team on ESPN while wearing an Unrivaled T-shirt and mentioned her Owls teammates within her selection choices. Their commitments to national teams are also a consideration since major international tournaments overlap with the WNBA season. Engelbert said last weekend that players born outside the United States who play for their country make up more than 20% of the league. Is a work stoppage coming? Ogwumike said the union 'hasn't discussed about work stoppages,' but has addressed it. 'We wouldn't be doing our job if we didn't let players know, hey, the league is in a different place,' Ogwumike said. 'We're in a different place. Just be prepared for anything that can happen.' Multiple players, including Angel Reese and DiJonai Carrington in March, indicated ahead of CBA talks that the players are ready to sit out games if the league doesn't meet their major priorities. Alyssa Thomas said at All-Star that when they broached the topic of a work stoppage in the past, it was tough because of the impact on rookies. There were also vet minimum players to consider. When a salary is in the $50,000 range, it's tough to lose that. The situation is different now. Top players come in making money off NIL deals that in some cases rival the sponsorship deals of the league's biggest names. Players are making more money from sponsorships, brands and salaries than ever before, making it more feasible financially to sit out. How would a work stoppage impact long-term? Historically, there's been ill will toward players who strike for more money and benefits, as plenty of Americans view them as having too much already. But the WNBA is in a different state. The salaries are drastically lower than the multi-millions male professionals earn. Already, it's clear they have a strong contingent on their side. 'Pay them' chants broke out at All-Star, and many loud voices lent their opinion to the players' side of the argument early this week. A work stoppage could stagnate the 'hyper-growth' Engelbert described last weekend. Each side will need to consider how tender the situation is and how a work stoppage could halt the progress of the league's growth. Is there a deadline? Yes and no. The deadline right now is Oct. 31, but it's more of a soft target. 'I have confidence we can get something done by October,' Engelbert said at her All-Star address. 'But I'm not going to put an exact date on it because if we're in a good place, [if] we're going back and forth [and] there's a few remaining issues, we can extend dates here and there.' The season ends no later than Oct. 19, an already tight turnaround for players to finalize a deal while juggling the postseason that begins on Sept. 14. When players opted out the last time, the sides extended the deadline in 2019 and announced an agreement on Jan. 14, 2020. Any extension this time around is less than ideal given how much needs to be completed in the offseason. The Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire are scheduled to begin play next year and will need an expansion draft, which was held in December last year for the Valkyries. There is also a monster free agency period awaiting. Everyone except those on rookie contracts is an unrestricted free agent, a move players made to maximize their earnings and benefits under a new CBA. There's also the collegiate draft, typically scheduled eight days after the NCAA national championship game. 'Would we like to get it done? Yes,' Engelbert said. 'Does it have to be done exactly on that date? We've got some room to continue negotiations if we're close at that point.' What's next? Engelbert said on Saturday that there 'are meetings scheduled moving forward.' 'I want a lot of the same things the players want,' Engelbert said. 'I said that last time, too. It's not changed. But we also have to have a process where we go back and forth. We're in the process. 'Again, I'm still really optimistic that we'll get something done that will be transformational and next year at All-Star we'll be talking about how great everything is. Obviously, there's a lot of hard work to be done on both sides to get there.' Ogwumike said that the union communicated heavily leading into All-Star weekend as it 'didn't want to miss our moment.' Players described it as the largest, most involved group since they came together to advocate for Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock in the 2020 bubble season. 'We're just going to have to do our best to talk online and see what we can do as everyone is getting into the depths of their season,' Ogwumike said. It's likely the players lean into the public outcry on their behalf — Collier described having chills hearing the 'Pay them' chants — as the group is experienced in advocating. 'We have a lot of leverage this time around,' Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas said. 'You know, back when we did our last CBA, [we were] still trying to find our footing in the league. I think now we have a lot of power. As you can see, the league is growing. There's a lot of attention on this right now, and I think we just got to tap into that.'
