On Labor Day, it’s worth asking, “What’s the future of labor in the WNBA?”
When the current collective bargaining agreement was signed in early 2020, it widely was hailed as a path-breaking, progressive agreement that provided more equity and empowerment for players. Nearly five years later, however, the agreement seems outdated and insufficient. Protections for players who are mothers, one the CBA’s signature benefits, have been shown to be inadequate, or at least inadequately enforced, by the experiences of Skylar Diggins-Smith and Dearica Hamby. The prioritization clause, which forces players to “prioritize” their WNBA team over overseas opportunities or face financial penalties, quickly came under criticism.
While the current CBA expires in 2027, either the WNBPA or league can choose to opt out by Nov. 1 of this year, which would move the CBA’s expiration date to Oct. 31, 2025. From the outside, it’s hard to imagine the players not electing to opt out, despite the challenges of negotiating a new agreement within a year. Not only have players voiced frustrations about the limitations of the current deal, but the NWSL’s recent CBA also introduces new desires and demands that, in a moment where women’s sports, especially women’s basketball, are…
