For the second time in months, one of North America’s major professional women’s sports leagues has trashed their collective bargaining agreement with plans to start over. In August, the NWSL announced they had re-negotiated a groundbreaking collective bargaining agreement that increased wages, abolished the draft, and gave players full control over trades and other aspects of their careers. Monday, the WNBAPA announced they were opting out of their collective agreement with the WNBA.
“We are ready to lead transformational change—change that goes beyond women’s sports and sets a precedent for something greater,” WNBAPA president Nneka Ogwumike said in the statement. “Opting out isn’t just about bigger paychecks—it’s about claiming our rightful share of the business we’ve built, improving working conditions, and securing a future where the success we create benefits today’s players and the generations to come. We’re not just asking for a CBA that reflects our value; we’re demanding it, because we’ve earned it.”
The move is yet another push for the PWHL and PWHLPA. The PWHLPA signed a restrictive collective agreement with limited salaries and no revenue share from any stream for players, including media. The PWHL’s CBA also has significant gaps in player representation requirements, player movement and draft eligibility, and compensation.
The WNBA plans to push for equity, not only in increased salaries, but also as they relate to minimum facility and travel standards, family supports, and retirement benefits. The “equity” based model the WNBAPA envisions, according to their release, will more closely represent and reflect the players’ contribution to the success and growth of the league. This season the WNBA saw unparalleled attendance and television ratings.
The announcement came only a day after the New York Liberty defeated the Minnesota Lynx to capture the 2024 WNBA title. The WNBA also has plans to expand by three teams by 2026, including their first Canadian organization in Toronto, who are slated to share a venue with the PWHL’s Toronto Sceptres at Coca-Cola Coliseum.
Fan and sponsorship response to the PWHL was high in year one, and Monday the league announced they were the top rated brand in Canada in a recent Harris Poll, a result where the league “clinched the top spot as the most trusted and reputable organization in Canada. Its success, buoyed by record ticket sales and strong viewership, set the PWHL ahead of other notable organizations…” the PWHL’s press release read.
If that growth and business success continues for the PWHL, the PWHLPA may look to rectify the shortcomings of their initial collective bargaining agreement, which is not set to expire until 2031. In year one, the PWHL’s minimum salary was $35,000 with the majority of the league making less than $40,000 per season. The PWHL’s CBA states that player salaries will increase by 3% each season, making the league minimum $36,050 this year, an amount that will max out at $43,045 eight years from now in 2031. Conversely the WNBA’s current minimum salary is $64,154 with a veteran maximum of $241,984. In the NWSL’s newly negotiated contract, which was renegotiated only two years after the contract was signed, will see minimum salaries rise to $48,500 next season, and $82,500 in 2030, a figure that is roughly double what PWHL players on league minimum salaries will make that season.
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