The WNBA Players Association (WNBAPA) decided this Monday to formalize its request to renegotiate the collective agreement of the American women’s basketball league and demanded economic and working conditions that “reflect its value” and contribution to an increasingly growing.
The WNBAPA reported in an official statement that it decided to withdraw from the collective agreement in force since 2020 and that it will expire in October 2025 to negotiate new conditions. The players demand improvements not only in terms of salary, but also in terms of facilities, accommodation during away games, and financial benefits after their retirement.
The WNBA players are willing to stand down and not compete until an agreement is reached with the American league, according to the network. ESPN citing sources from the Association.
Salary improvements or reinforcement of the level of facilities are some of the players’ requests for the agreement
Until this season, the maximum salary in the WNBA was $252,000 and the minimum was $75,000 annually. In addition to salaries, one of the great limitations of some franchises is facilities. For example, the Chicago Sky currently train in Deerfield (Illinois), more than 40 kilometers from Chicago in a public sports center.
The Chicago franchise, which was WNBA champion in 2021, announced in July the construction of a new sports center exclusively designed for the team. The WNBAPA highlighted the league’s vertical growth in both the number of viewers and fans in the stands, after a record-breaking season that ended on Sunday with the title won by the New York Liberty.
The 2024 WNBA regular season was the most watched in the last 24 years and the record for fans in a court was broken
In fact, the 2024 WNBA regular season was the most watched in the last 24 years. More than 54 million viewers followed the matches on national networks ABC, C.B.S., ION, NBA TV and ESPN. The last mentioned television set an absolute record with an average of 1.19 million followers. This data marks an increase of 170% compared to the 2023 season.
In the stadiums, the WNBA broke its absolute fan record on the last day of the regular season, when Washington-Indiana at the Capital One Arena in the US capital drew 20,711 spectators. In total, there were 154 sellouts in American arenas this regular season.
#WNBA #players #stand #agreement #reflects #contribution #league
