Strike in the offing for WNBA? By Oscar Dixon, USA TODAY WNBA players say it is time for the league to live up to promises it made six years ago when it comes to salaries. If it doesn't, they are prepared to strike. Seattle's Sonja Henning, a lawyer and president of the WNBA players association, said Tuesday that while the players "love the game," they are no longer just happy to have a league and are looking for a pay raise. "We discussed the idea of getting comfortable with a strike, but understand it's a business. We hope it won't get to that." The four-year collective bargaining agreement expires Sept. 15, and in addition to a pay raise the union likely will seek free agency and individual marketing rights. The WNBA season runs from Memorial Day to Labor Day. The rookie minimum salary is $30,000; the veteran minimum is $40,000. The league says the average salary is $55,000, including benefits. The union says take-home pay is closer to $40,000. WNBPA director Pam Wheeler said WNBA players' base salaries make up less than 15% of the league's revenue, compared to more than 55% of revenue for other major professional leagues. She added that some coaches in the league make three to four times the average salary of players. Teams hire and pay coaches, and the league signs and pays players. The WNBA has doubled its teams from eight to 16 since 1997 and averaged 9,075 fans a game last year. The league has partnerships with NBC, ESPN and ESPN2 but does not get rights fees from the package, which is part of the NBA contract with the networks. President Val Ackerman says the WNBA is not making money. WNBA spokeswoman Maureen Coyle said, "We'd be willing to meet at any mutually agreeable time, but to date we have not been contacted by the union."
There goes our WNBA. This is just the wrong time and the wrong place. I know they are starving. I know they all have second jobs, but if the revenue isn't there you don't increase the expenses. Forget the promises. Make a promise to the future of the WNBA first.
They may get a small wage increase but there is no way in the world there'll be free agency. The league is set up so that free agency will never be possible. They're not going to change the structure of the league especially when they're not profitable. The players are fishing big time here.
