As the extended collective bargaining agreement (CBA) deadline rapidly approaches on Nov. 30, the WNBA has reportedly submitted a new proposal that includes higher player salaries.
The Associated Press and ESPN reported the WNBA has proposed a maximum salary of more than $1.1 million, available to more than one player per team, in addition to league minimum of more than $220,000 and an average salary of more than $460,000. Those salaries would increase over the length of the CBA at higher rate than previous years, the outlets added.
USA TODAY Sports reached out to the WNBA for comment.
The current CBA was set to expire on Oct. 31 after the WNBPA exercised its right to opt out of the agreement in October 2024. However, the WNBA and players association agreed to a 30-day extension to extend the deadline to Nov. 30 to allow more time for a deal to be reached as revenue sharing and pay structure remain points of contention in negotiations.
The league and players association previously agreed to a 60-day extension in 2019, three days before the last CBA was set to expire on Oct. 31, 2019. A new deal was subsequently reached on the current CBA on Jan. 14, 2020 and singed into effect three days later on Jan. 17, 2020.
‘Last time, when I was only a couple days on the job, we got to an extension and got a deal done that was progressive at the time,’ said WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in October. ‘So again, I feel confident that we can get a deal done, but if not, I think we could do an extension.’
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