A New Collective Bargaining​ Agreement In The WNBA Has Been Reached

On Tuesday the WNBA made a huge announcement that has been in the works for months. The Women’s National Basketball Association put their new collective bargaining agreement into effect.

The new terms will kick in with the start of the 2020 season and stay the course for 8 years. Changes have been made to the season, player salaries, player benefits and to marketing just to name a few.

Nneka Ogwumike the WNBPA President had this to say about commissioner Cathy Engelbert;

“She brought her perspective as a former women’s basketball student-athlete, her experience as a business professional and her passion for the game to these negotiations.”

“We found common ground in areas that confirmed the league’s and the players’ intentions to not only make meaningful improvements in working conditions and overall professional experience, but also to improve the business with strategic planning and intentional marketing that will keep the WNBA front and center year-round.”

WNBA players last year averaged $116,000 under the new agreement the base salary will be $130,000. The league has also created additional bonuses and prize pools. Top players can earn up to more than $500,000 a year in cash. That is more than triple the current max cash compensation according to the WNBA.

Key Facts From The New Deal

• WNBA players get a 53% increase in total compensation under a new collective bargaining agreement
• It also includes paid maternity leave and fertility benefits
• The new deal overhauls the structure of the season for women’s professional basketball

Terri Jackson the WNBPA Executive Director released a statement stating; “There are significant gains all across the board in this new agreement, and everything is in place for our players and the league to thrive.”

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(Cover photo courtesy of Now This News, videos courtesy of GMA and Hoop Jab, source CNBC)