WNBPA Rejects WNBA Proposal, Demands Transformational CBA

In a statement issued on Thursday following an in-person meeting in Indianapolis, the Women's National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) rebuked a proposal from the WNBA amid an ongoing dispute over a new collective bargaining agreement for the league. The WNBPA claims that the proposal does not address the issues the union has prioritized since opting out of the current CBA back in October.

The meeting marked the first time the WNBA and WNBPA had met in person since December, as the two parties try to reach a resolution before the current CBA expires at the end of the 2025 season. The WNBPA says that more than 40 players, including league All-Stars, attended the meeting alongside executive committee members and player representatives, making it the largest in-person player turnout in union history during CBA negotiations.

However, the WNBPA expressed discontent with the league's proposal, which it believes does not address issues such as improving working conditions and ensuring players receive a rightful share of the league's growing business. The union stated that 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 it won't back down from its demands but is committed to returning to the negotiating table, vowing that "the only thing more unsustainable than the current system is pretending it can go on forever." The union emphasized that it is "committed to the fight" and will not stop until it achieves the "transformational CBA this moment demands."