WNBA Collective Bargaining

[NycUcWbbFan]

I believe that a meeting last week gave a hopeful hint (who was in the meeting vs. who usually is and retracting that snarky no-housing proposal) that the CBA talks have finally gone beyond Engelbert’s initial remit (that resulted in the inevitable impasse on the proposals). Only Owners can resolve the impasse.

• The impasse shows the players association’s and the WNBA’s claims about the impasse (in above link) can both be true but the WNBA’s are true by pulling a “fast one” (below, exacerbated by their closed books).

While the impasse was always couched in terms of revenue sharing/ salary cap, it was rooted in certain revenue streams that the WNBA considers, because of its ownership structure, exempt from revenue sharing/ salary cap. The impasse, then, is really all about the ownership structure.

Currently, the WNBA doesn’t (substantially) share the following player-created value with players:

• (a) the unrealized gain (realized through sale) &1 in astronomical franchise valuations;
• (b) the very large expansion fees;
• (c) revenue streams (e.g. merchandise sales) that must go through a Ruth Goldberg Contraption to determine the slice, if any, of the slice, if any, that will be shared.

&1 This is the same as the NBA not sharing the full economic value of the media rights deals.

 

[JellyBean]

I wish that a deal would have been reached sooner. Year 30. It is wild because many folks thought that the W would not make it past Year 5. When the original Portland team folded, many folks were saying how the W would fold as well. Here we are in Year 30. Pretty awesome. Now we just have to figure out the steps for a season.

I just hope that there are plans in place for a relatively smooth transition into the season. The expansion draft for starters. How about when the season starts. Usually, the W starts in May. Will they push for a May start time or push for a start time in June? Will the WNBA draft start the week after the NCAA WBB Final Four. So many questions.