Tuesday’s 11th hour negotiation between the WNBA and its players association literally lasted over 11 hours into Wednesday morning, a marathon bargaining session that WNBPA Exec Dir Terri Jackson described “as a lot of conversation going in the right direction.”
Capitalizing on the momentum, the two sides will resume talks Wednesday afternoon, multiple sources told SBJ.
From roughly 5pm ET Tuesday until about 5am Wednesday, it is believed the two sides made a series of counterproposals, although it was unknown how close they came to resolving their core differences over the percentage split of revenue share and league-sanctioned housing for players.
When union executive committee members such as President Nneka Ogwumike, Treasurer Brianna Turner, VP Alysha Clark and VP Breanna Stewart left N.Y.’s Langham Hotel at 3am, they refused to say whether there had been definitive progress. But sources told SBJ that league and WNBPA leaders, including Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, stayed behind in the hotel, trying to consummate a deal.
About a half hour later, the two sides still hadn’t provided an official update -- lending another level of uncertainty to the now 17-month impasse. But then at about 3:40am, Jackson addressed reporters, saying talks were headed in the proper direction and that “conversations are continuing as they need to be.”
Nearly two hours later, Engelbert emerged with her staff, saying, “It’s complex. But we’re working toward a win-win deal like we’ve been saying.”
Considering an agreement was not formalized overnight, the WNBA’s 30th anniversary season may or may not remain intact. The league had previously informed the union that the regular season would be “impacted” if there was no CBA by March 10, largely because of the need to hold an expansion draft, a college draft and a free agent signing period before the May 8 season openers. However, sources have told SBJ that the league may not necessarily eliminate games if talks drag on slightly longer this week and that it could just schedule games closer together.
“We have got to get it done soon,” Engelbert told reporters Wednesday morning.
The frustration for the players is that it took 17 months for the sides to sequester. Last week, while training with the U.S. National Team in Miami, the Fever’s Caitlin Clark told reporters, “I don’t understand why we don’t just get in a room and iron it out and shake hands. That’s how business is. You look each other in the eye, you shake hands, you respect both sides. For me, that’s what I would love to see.”
That scenario came to fruition early Wednesday when Jackson and Engelbert left the Langham just before dawn.
