WNBA’s Cathy Engelbert counters on ‘constructive’ CBA talks as players send message before All-Star game

INDIANAPOLIS — As WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert held a press conference in the depths of Gainbridge Fieldhouse ahead of Saturday night’s All-Star Game, players used their pregame warmups as a chance to send a message.

“Pay us what you owe us,” the T-shirts worn by each player read.

The Women’s National Basketball Players’ Association and league stakeholders remain at an impasse as negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement become more strained and the likelihood of work stoppage after this season grows.

While many players felt Thursday’s CBA meeting was a “wasted opportunity” and said little-to-no progress was achieved, Engelbert said she thought the gathering with 40-plus players and league stakeholders was “constructive.”

“We had candid dialogue, and this is part of the process,” Engelbert said. “I fully respect the players who are listening. They’re listening to our owners, and we’re kind of in the middle of the league trying to make sure we’re setting this league up for success for decades. And that’s the goal. To have a fair CBA for all.”

Both sides want to write out a “transformational” CBA, but the WNBA and players’ union have different viewpoints on what that might look like.

It took the league five months to counter the union’s initial proposals, and the WNBA’s response was not well received among players.

Some called it “disrespectful” and said the two parties are oceans away on important issues, especially in terms of creating a robust revenue sharing model that allows players to benefit as the WNBA’s popularity and profitability continues to grow.

Union president Nneka Ogwumike said she interpreted the league’s initial response to include fixed salary-cap numbers. But Engelbert refuted that, saying it’s “not accurate.”

“We’ve been talking about different ways to do revenue sharing,” she said. “You’ll see the revenue sharing be a much more lucrative one as we go forward because we’re in a better place.

“We want to significantly increase their salary and benefits while balancing with our owners their ability to have a path of profitability as well to continued investment.”

The union’s stern stance on implementing a fluid revenue sharing system is rooted in the fact that the league has a new 11-year media rights deal valued at $2.2 billion starting in 2026. They also took note that the WNBA’s most recent expansion teams in Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia coughed up a whopping $250 million to buy in.

Engelbert mentioned that national viewership year-over-year is up 23 percent, attendance is the highest it’s been in decades and merchandise sales shattered previous records — all promising stats that show the league’s surge in popularity.

Players see those numbers and want their fair share. They used the opportunity of the nationally televised All-Star Game to make a statement.

Not only did players wear the shirts, but Mystics guard Brittney Sykes also held up a “Pay The Players” sign when she was presented the All-Star Game’s MVP trophy.

Breanna Stewart, a member of the WNBPA executive committee, said the demonstration likely would’ve happened regardless of how Thursday’s tempestuous meeting went.

“We wanted to do something united,” Stewart said. “We have strength in numbers, and we know that we don’t always have this opportunity to be together like this. So making a statement where everyone will see it.”

The union has said it’s preparing for a work stoppage when the current CBA expires Oct. 31. Engelbert said she has “confidence” a deal can be struck before the Halloween deadline, but also said she’s “not going to put an exact date on it.

“We’re in a good place and we’re going back and forth,” she said.

The current CBA was signed in January 2020. But there’s extra urgency to get this deal done by the deadline so teams can prepare for the Toronto and Portland expansion drafts, which are expected to take place in December. Rules for expansion drafts are part of the CBA, so teams don’t know what to expect yet.

Free agency, which usually starts in late January, and potentially the April draft would also be on hold as long as a deal remains unfinalized.

Neither side wants that to be a case.

Engelbert remains optimistic that the two sides will be able to agree on a CBA that people will hopefully be raving about at next year’s All-Star event.

“I want a lot of the same things the players want. I said that last time, too, and it’s not changed,” she said. “But we also have to have a process where we got back and forth and that’s where we’re in the process. Again, still really optimistic that we get something done that will be transformational.”