As the WNBA season dawns upon us and training camp is only a few days away, the collective bargaining agreement issue is certain to be the primary backstory to the 2019 season given the situations involving Maya Moore, Liz Cambage, and Breanna Stewart.
In a completely unexpected move, NBA Public Relations, from its locked Twitter account, tweeted about WNBA pay. According to the league:
There has recently been inaccurate information reported in the media regarding WNBA pay. In accordance with the CBA, the average compensation for WNBA players last season was $116,000. The top-paid player’s compensation was more than $187,000.
Needless to say, many a W hooper did not take kindly to the NBA’s tweet.
Oh…so this is what we are doing now?? https://t.co/fE8ERxBgTP
— Breanna Stewart (@breannastewart) April 29, 2019
Average comp shmaverage comp. This is an attempt to twist the issue at hand = SALARY 🙄 https://t.co/60nQMQv0Mw
— Sue Bird (@S10Bird) April 29, 2019
Can yall just start putting “WNBA Economist” in your bio so I can know your credentials ahead of time. Thanks.
— Imani McGee-Stafford (@imanitrishawn_) April 30, 2019
For those reading…the WNBA CBA can be complicated so I won’t bore you with the details. But the ONLY players who get the $117,500 “average” salary are 6 yr VETS! And the other $115,000 salaried are for other vets. Most comical tweet award of the day goes to @NBAPR thanks guys https://t.co/tbN0GDrwuf
— Diamond DeShields (@diamonddoesit1) April 29, 2019
At this point we not even talking about making more $$…all I’m saying is….if you gone speak on it, speak with all facts in order.
— Diamond DeShields (@diamonddoesit1) April 29, 2019
Say what you want but comments like this made by sources such as @NBAPR make our jobs a lot more difficult. We are supposed to be unified in this battle and this was simply uncalled for. But ….WHATS NEW!?!
— Diamond DeShields (@diamonddoesit1) April 29, 2019
I hope y’all see through this ploy trying to take away from what we’ve clearly been discussing…SALARY. Periodt. #BetOnWomen https://t.co/GtEl91VA6A
— Alysha Clark (@Alysha_Clark) April 30, 2019
Some players must be gettin paid under the table then 🤷🏾♀️ https://t.co/7UKAVFaYnF
— Monique Currie (@Mocurrie25) April 29, 2019
That may not have been the best move for the NBA to make…
Mark Tatum remarked at the WNBA Draft in New York City that the CBA talks were productive from a league standpoint. Sending out information such as this will likely only harden the stance of Nneka Ogwumike and the WNBPA in further its push towards fairer salaries for the players.
Up to this point, there has been no comment from the WNBPA in response to the NBA’s tweet, but if the responses from many players that union represents are anything, its response probably would not be taken in kind at union headquarters – also in New York City.
Notice that in the NBA’s words, it made the mention of compensation instead of salary. For players themselves, they are attempting to spotlight the problem of salary.
On top of everything else, the players are not only attempting to address the salary issue, but also that of a greater effort on the NBA’s part to market WNBA players. The new rebranding could be a start, but the WNBPA is more than likely mentioning this to the league as it continues with CBA talks that will affect if there is or is not a 2020 season.
Will the NBA finally decide to do more than just establish a league and actually #BetOnWomen? Only time will tell.
