"Being on the management side of any labor negotiations often comes with the tag of being the "heavy" or "bad guy" when it comes to disputes. NBA commissioner Adam Silver, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert and the league owners have tried to reframe the current WNBA collective bargaining process as both sides wanting similar things: continued growth for the league and prosperity for the players."
"The players' association, however, has been much more aggressive in courting public opinion and criticizing the league and its negotiating tactics, with executive committee member Napheesa Collier of the Minnesota Lynx specifically targeting Engelbert's leadership. In recent weeks, the WNBA has begun to push back at some of the union's claims with statements defending management's side. With WNBA franchise valuations skyrocketing in recent years,"
"The management viewpoint in these negotiations is that the league must continue its financial growth to become a profitable business, along with rewarding the players as the primary agents of that growth. The WNBA's initial Oct. 31 CBA deadline was extended 30 days until the end of November. Now, we're almost halfway there. Amid the ongoing negotiations, ESPN first looked at what is at stake for the players in this next CBA. Here, we look at it from management's perspective."
Management frames the WNBA collective bargaining as a shared pursuit of league growth and player prosperity, stressing the need to preserve financial momentum. League executives and owners emphasize rising franchise valuations, a $2.2 billion media-rights deal starting in 2026, and planned expansion to 18 teams by 2030 as evidence of strong financial health. The players' association has mounted a public campaign criticizing negotiating tactics and targeting commissioner leadership. Management has begun issuing statements defending its positions and urging continued fiscal growth to reach profitability while rewarding players as primary drivers of that growth. The CBA deadline was extended 30 days to the end of November.
Read at ESPN.com
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