The WNBA has presented its players’ union with a collective bargaining proposal that would allow multiple players per team to earn more than $1.1 million annually, with that maximum rising each year of the deal, a person familiar with the talks told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
The league’s latest offer, shared with team owners during board meetings this week, also includes a minimum salary exceeding $220,000 and an average of more than $460,000 across the expanded rosters of more than 180 players, the person said on condition of anonymity because negotiations remain private.
Those figures would begin in the first season of the new agreement and increase throughout its length.
The proposal marks a sharp jump from the current maximum of roughly $250,000 and from an earlier league offer this fall that topped out around $850,000.The two sides agreed last month to extend talks until November 30 after the players opted out of the existing collective bargaining agreement in 2024, seeking greater revenue sharing, higher pay, and a softer salary cap.
Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in July she remained “really optimistic that we’ll get something done that would be transformational,” AP reported.
If no deal or further extension is reached by the end of the month, the current terms would remain in place under a status quo period, though either side could eventually trigger a work stoppage.