NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Gamers run up and down a basketball courtroom in a transformed live performance corridor getting ready for his or her first full weekend of video games with Athletes Limitless. Nneka Ogwumike sits in a chair alongside the baseline as balls swish by means of the web above her.
With lower than three months to go till the WNBA season is scheduled to start out, CBA negotiations stay deadlocked on the problems of wage construction and income sharing. Ogwumike, the Ladies’s Nationwide Basketball Gamers Affiliation president, has arrived in Nashville with union government director Terri Jackson. They’re right here to debrief the gamers, a lot of whom exist outdoors the WNBA highlight, on developments of their quest for a “transformational” collective bargaining settlement.
The specter of a piece stoppage hovers over all of it. On Dec. 18, the union voted to authorize calling a strike “when vital,” and a few voices across the league questioned if the time was drawing close to.
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“I really feel prefer it’s not imminent at this level,” government committee treasurer Brianna Turner informed ESPN. “It is nonetheless early February, like we’re nonetheless going. So I really feel like we’re nonetheless in a ready sport in the meanwhile.”
The league did ship a revised proposal Feb. 6 that reportedly included concessions on housing and facility requirements however didn’t embody a big change in income sharing.
Amid the murky WNBA outlook, Athletes Limitless tipped off its fifth season Feb. 4 at Nashville’s Municipal Auditorium. In contrast to Unequalled — the 3-on-3 league in Miami — Athletes Limitless just isn’t positioned as a league that showcases WNBA superstars. Of the 40 athletes enjoying in AU, 26 appeared on WNBA rosters in some capability final season. A few of them are well-paid veterans, some are rookies, some picked up short-term hardship contracts and a few play for the veteran minimal. Others are nonetheless dreaming of their WNBA debut.
This group of gamers arguably has probably the most at stake within the negotiations. The variety of assured contracts is on the desk. So are parental go away insurance policies. And housing.
ESPN spoke with a dozen AU gamers with WNBA ties, on the situation of anonymity, about their ideas on the state of the WNBA and the CBA negotiations.
On a scale of 1-10, how assured are you that there can be a full WNBA season?
Gamers gave a variety of responses to this query, however they landed on cautious optimism that the season may begin on time Could 8. The common rating was a 6.1. One pessimistic outlier answered with a 2. The most typical reply was a 5, which sums up the final shoulder-shrug vibe as negotiations have stalled.
“I feel we’re gonna have a season. I do not know if it will be the entire season.”
“I really feel like we’re asking for lots. I do know we deserve it, however on the similar time, it is sort of like we’re sort of getting grasping. We’re doing a number of asking. I really feel like we have to do a number of doing.”
“I will lean extra in the direction of the optimistic aspect. So I will say an 8 as a result of I do know the superb folks that now we have to assist us — the ladies within the [negotiating] chairs.”
“Full W season? I really feel fairly assured. Um. … Full? I really feel like a 9.”
How would a misplaced WNBA paycheck have an effect on you?
Who knew that a few of the world’s most elite basketball gamers had been additionally first-class cash managers? Most gamers mentioned they’re going to be all proper, with or with out the W stacks.
“I am not making an insane quantity for it to be a extremely massive deal. Luckily, I have been round these previous couple of years and been in a position to make extra off courtroom. However I nonetheless need it. I am preventing to have one other yr within the league. I might like to have a season the place I am ready to make more cash and actually simply really feel much more snug in life and be capable of do extra for my household.”
“I’ve completed a very good job about saving up, simply in case that state of affairs does occur. I am tremendous informal. So, yeah, I am lucky sufficient to be in a very good place.”
“It might impression me immensely. It is my job, so it will be an enormous deal.”
“I am fairly arrange off the courtroom, so it would not. If it is the W paycheck we make now, it would not trouble me. If it is a massive W paycheck and an improve, , I may use it!”
“I’ve a number of endorsements and NIL, so I would not say that might actually impression me. However I might say the [inability] to play the game that you simply love will have an effect on a number of gamers as a result of a few of us actually, actually love the game of basketball, and having the ability to go on the market and play — that is what we have been doing our entire life.”
“I used to be very lucky that my household has taught me good monetary recommendation and saving and investing. I’ve cash saved up. I am OK, however I additionally know that not everyone seems to be in my place.”
“Cash is cash. I might love my paycheck.”
On a scale of 1-10, how anxious are you feeling about negotiations?
Although gamers expressed uncertainty about the potential of enjoying a full WNBA season, that did not translate to vital nervousness concerning the negotiations. One individual put her nervousness stage at a ten, however the majority of gamers mentioned they are not nervous, or at the very least they are not going to fret about what’s past their management. The common was 3.2.
“I feel [the league and owners] simply really feel that we’re gonna simply signal, and we’re not. We’re gonna simply sit out if that is the case. Like, we deserve it.”
“I ain’t nervous about it. Prefer it’s both gonna occur or it is not. I am unable to fear about it. Not gonna stress myself over one thing I am unable to management.”
“I’ve a very good stage of religion and understanding of what is going on on with these which might be on our [executive committee]. They know what they’re speaking about, and we’re on the identical web page.”
Do you are feeling represented in these negotiations as somebody who just isn’t among the many prime tier of WNBA earners?
For each max wage participant, there’s someone making the league minimal. Their CBA wants aren’t the identical. And so they realize it.
“Sure, and no. I really feel like [power] comes with the hype behind your identify, or just like the which means behind your identify. However on the similar time, it is sort of like, ‘Hey, take into consideration us. I do know you guys are prime earners, however on the finish of the day, you additionally want us.’ There could possibly be no league.”
“Proper now, sure, I do. Particularly being [at Athletes Unlimited], having conversations with folks on the manager committee, conversations I’ve had with Nneka. I really feel like this illustration could be very totally different than the final CBA negotiations. We’re being louder. I really feel like folks had considerations within the final CBA, however sort of had been stomped out by the one percenters, I name them. However I really feel like this time round, we’re holding agency.”
“Yeah, I be ok with what folks have been saying. Though everyone on the EC cannot relate to all the opposite gamers, I feel now we have some illustration in there. And I feel different folks perceive the place we went improper final CBA, in not taking good care of the middle-of-the-pack gamers. And so, , hopefully we do not see it taking place.”
“I feel so. On the [Feb. 2] name, there have been a couple of gamers who had been sort of in my place. And I do really feel like what they spoke to was very true for myself as effectively. So I feel we’re getting, sure, the superstars, but additionally the [veteran minimum] gamers, the function gamers. This league is 144, or extra now, it is not solely concerning the prime 20 gamers, proper? The remainder of the league has to matter. And I do really feel like my voice was heard.”
On a scale of 1-10, how knowledgeable do you are feeling concerning the CBA negotiations?
The union management will get excessive grades in communication. Gamers answered persistently that they really feel very knowledgeable concerning the ongoing negotiations, typically answering with a 9 or 10. The bottom reply was a 5, and the common was 9.
“I really feel very knowledgeable proper now. I am all the time open to take a seat down and be taught and be educated about it.”
“I do not know concerning the [league] aspect. I do know [the players], we’re very, 100% assured in what we stand on.”
“I really feel like they should assist us out with just a bit extra. They should, like, break it down, not dumb it down, however simply make it concise and easy. The youthful era’s consideration span is slightly unhealthy.”
After wage, what are your prime points?
High to backside, left to proper, entrance to again, wage and income sharing rank highest. However gamers say housing and retirement advantages are also value preventing for.
“Retirement advantages. Sooner or later the ball’s gonna cease bouncing. So, equally to different leagues that exist already, there’s an understanding of, you place your time and your effort into doing this long run, and in some unspecified time in the future it is gonna cease bouncing. So it might be good to be helped out with that.”
“Housing. Our season is not lengthy sufficient. There’s not sufficient issues in place in everyone’s marketplace for it to make sense for folks to reside there year-round. Additionally, due to the shortage of assured contracts, now we have a revolving door of gamers, like we noticed with the Fever [in 2025]. I simply do not perceive how they really feel like it will make sense to remove housing when persons are simply far and wide, shifting.”
“Housing. These people who find themselves on the decrease finish of the wage, they’re those who’re most certainly traded. So to me, it is unfair.”
“Pension. Lots of people did stuff to place this league the place it’s. And so many individuals having to attend 10 years, or, like, have 10 years of service to get a pension is simply insane. I may go on for days.”