WNBA players opt out of CBA, can start negotiating sooner

[Stephan Bobb]

WNBA players opt out of CBA, can start negotiating sooner

Posted on 11/01/2018 by AP News

NEW YORK — WNBA players have opted out of the current collective bargaining agreement that runs through October 2021.

The players’ union announced the decision Thursday. The current CBA is in effect, but the move allows the players’ union to start negotiating the next CBA now. The new agreement would go into effect for the 2020 season.

The league has seen growth in several areas since the CBA was signed in 2014. Television ratings this season were the league’s best in four years. The 12-team summer league started live streaming games on Twitter and partnered with one-day daily fantasy sites. WNBA players appeared in a video game for the first time.

The union hopes that translates into more money for the players. The top salary in the league was $115,500 this season.