The WNBA and its players appear to have laid the foundation for a brighter future.
The league and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association announced Tuesday via conference call they’ve reached a tentative agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement. The eight-year deal will boost the salaries for top players from $117,500 to $215,000 and also include these other personal and professional benefits:
“… other cash compensation increases, changes to free agency, travel improvements, additional motherhood and family-planning benefits, enhanced marketing and career-development opportunities, and changes to revenue-sharing potential,” according to ESPN’s Mechelle Voepel.
Standing ovation for the @wnba and its players' union ??? pic.twitter.com/n4NUDKS4MU
— espnW (@espnW) January 14, 2020
The WNBA governors are expected to ratify the new CBA, which the players support overwhelmingly.
On conference call, WNBPA executive committee president Nneka Ogwumike said that there was over 90% player participation in voting to approve CBA, and it was overwhelmingly approved.
— Mechelle Voepel (@MechelleV) January 14, 2020
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert told The New York Times the new CBA represents a “big bet” on the enduring appeal of women’s professional sports.
“What we have here is a multidimensional pay structure as well as benefit structure,” Engelbert said in a phone interview. “We’ve really gone all out here. We’re making a big bet on this league, a big bet on women, and that in professional sports, that the W.N.B.A. can lead the way.”
The 2020 WNBA season is expected to begin in May and conclude in October.
