WNBPA offers revenue share concessions in new CBA proposal to WNBA
The Women’s National Basketball Players’ Association has submitted a revised counterproposal to the WNBA, offering key concessions on revenue sharing and housing arrangements to advance collective bargaining negotiations.
The updated offer, delivered to league officials on Friday evening, represents a significant shift in the union’s financial demands.
Sources indicate the new terms include a reduction in the players’ desired share of gross revenue, amounting to nearly $100m in total reductions.
Financial framework adjustments
The players’ union is now requesting 26% of gross revenue over the lifetime of the agreement, down from the 27.5% figure outlined in their previous submission from mid-February.
Despite this movement, a substantial gap remains between the two sides regarding the fundamental economic model of the league.
The WNBA has held firm on a system based on net revenue, offering a split that equates to less than 15% of gross revenue.
Under the union’s latest plan, the salary cap for the first year of the deal would remain unchanged at approximately $9.5m.
By contrast, the league’s most recent proposal set the 2026 cap at $5.65m, though this would still represent a significant increase from the 2025 figure.
Housing and roster updates
The revised document also includes compromises regarding the provision of player accommodation.
Teams would no longer be obligated to provide housing for athletes earning at least 75% of the maximum salary, a threshold lowered from the previously requested 80%.
Negotiators for the players also removed a stipulation that required athletes to be on multi-year contracts to qualify for this housing exemption.
Discussions regarding developmental players are ongoing, with the union proposing a six-year service limit for these specific roster spots.
The league, which expects each franchise to carry two developmental players, had previously suggested a limit of four or five years based on minutes played.
Context of negotiations
This counterproposal arrives just one week after the WNBA submitted its own offer, which guaranteed housing for all players in 2026 before phasing it out.
Negotiations continue as both parties seek to capitalise on the sport’s explosive growth in popularity while ensuring long-term financial sustainability.