"Multiple sources familiar with the negotiations told ESPN that the WNBA is projecting that a recent proposal from the WNPBA -- which would give players about 30% of gross revenue and is believed to feature approximately a $10.5 million salary cap -- would result in $700 million in losses over the course of the agreement. Such losses would jeopardize the league's financial health; they would be more than the combined losses of the league and its teams in the WNBA's first 29 years of existence."
"But the union believes its revenue sharing model still puts the league in a "profitable position," a separate source close to the negotiations said, and calls the league's projected loss figure "absolutely false," citing a discrepancy in whether expansion fees are factored in. The league soon will grow to 18 teams -- Portland and Toronto will debut in 2026, and Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia recently paid $250 million each to join the league between 2028 and 2030."
Negotiations between the WNBA and the Women's National Basketball Players Association approach a Jan. 9 deadline with major disagreements over revenue sharing structure, revenue definitions, and expense accounting. The WNBA projects that the union's proposal — roughly 30% of gross revenue with an estimated $10.5 million salary cap — would produce about $700 million in losses during the agreement, based on previously audited league financials. The union says the proposal still leaves the league profitable and disputes the loss projection, pointing to differences over whether expansion fees are included. The league will expand to 18 teams with several recent $250 million expansion payments.
Read at ESPN.com
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