WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert on new CBA negotiations

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert has indicated several times that the new collective bargaining agreement will be “transformational.”

But Engelbert remained mum when asked Monday as to what specifically would be a “fair” deal in the league’s eyes.

The Women’s National Basketball Players Association has been very clear about what its top priorities are for the new deal as the current collective bargaining agreement is set to expire after the 2025 season.

Players are fighting for higher wages, a new economic model and improved benefits.

But Engelbert passed on the chance to say where the league stands.

“We’re not going to negotiate in the media, we’re going to negotiate with players across the bargaining table, so I’m not going to comment on specifics other than we’ve been building a new economic model, quite frankly, leading women’s sports to build that model with our new media rights deals with all that corporate partnerships,” Engelbert said. “So yes we want to have a fair deal for all but it has to be within the confines of a sustainable economic model that goes on for 10 years.”

Engelbert noted the WNBA coughed up more than $20 million to supply charter flights to all teams for the first time this season.

The league is coming off a record-breaking season with fan engagement and TV viewership. But Engelbert said that growth has to continue.

“We’ve had a few years of great growth… but we need to continue to make sure that we can fund the things that the players are asking for, that we want for them, too,” Engelbert said. “We all want the players to make more money, that will happen. We’ll do something transformational but again, nothing to report exactly today because we’re not that far into negotiations to report any specifics.”

Engelbert said negotiations remain ongoing. She said the players union “recently” sent a proposal to the league and the two sides plan to meet at the bargaining table in the near future.

“I’m very optimistic that we’ll get something done,” Engelbert said, “and it’ll be transformational.”

Engelbert addressed several other hot-button topics during her 22-minute availability Monday night: 

On details of Paige Bueckers’ Unrivaled contract

On the eve of the WNBA draft, top pick Bueckers signed a three-year deal with Unrivaled that will pay her more in the first year than her entire rookie contract with the WNBA. 

Bueckers is set to be paid $78,831 for her first WNBA season and $348,198 over the course of four seasons. 

It wasn’t news that Bueckers signed a multi-year deal with Unrivaled, but rather that she’ll be compensated more handsomely by a startup league that runs for 10 weeks than by the WNBA, which has been around for nearly 30 years. 

Engelbert didn’t address Bueckers’ salary specifically when asked. She said she was “really proud” of what Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart have done with Unrivaled and had supported the league, even attending a few games in February. 

“We’ll have, by [the] time we get done with 16 teams, over 190 players we need to take care of, so I know it’s a lot easier to do 30 in one spot,” Engelbert said. “What the WNBA offers is a huge platform to our players around their corporate partners around activating. … I think today, not one sporting event where you don’t see an ad spot with a WNBA player in it. I think it’s pretty cool, whether it’s State Farm or Nike.

“We support and we are thrilled with the momentum we have coming off the NCAA season coming off Unrivaled, but certainly thrilled with the viewership we have and the momentum we have and the capital coming into our league as well and the investments our owners are making.”

On expansion

Engelbert said the WNBA is “still on track” to expand to 16 franchises by 2028. 

Engelbert didn’t have any further details on expansion and its timeline. She said the WNBA is still evaluating potential markets with the help of an outside banker. 

“Just evaluating whether it is more than one, quite frankly,” Engelbert said. “So we’ve got to put all that together, you don’t want to de-rate the quality of the game already going to 16. We’re adding 33% additional roster spots by adding 48 roster spots to a league of 144, so we’re in the process of evaluating all of that.” 

The WNBA added the Golden State Valkyries as its 13th franchise this season, and Portland and Toronto are expected to join the league in 2026. 

Potential destinations for the league’s 16th franchise include Denver, Philadelphia, Cleveland and Nashville. 

On addressing player abuse

Engelbert said the league has ramped up its efforts this offseason to combat hate directed at players and league personnel after several high-profile incidents made players feel unsafe last season.

Engelbert said the WNBA has adopted a four-pronged approach to combat hate that includes monitoring social media, enforcing fan conduct standards at arenas, improved security measures and continuing to have mental health clinicians available to players. 

Engelbert also mentioned the WNBA has a task force that will continue to monitor the issue moving forward. 

“There’s no space for hate,” said Engelbert, who also said AI advancements will help the league address cyberbullying. “I think there is just a continuing drain on all of us, on players, on staff, staff at our teams … just continued unaccountability for people who type things on social media and our players are digital natives. … And they take everything very hard, and it’s a toll on them.”