After Feisty Negotiations, WNBA CBA May Be Finalized Today
An "expected statement" from the WNBA "confirming the five-year [CBA] the union announced Friday" should be made today, according to Mike Anthony of the HARTFORD COURANT. WNBA Senior Dir of Strategic & Corporate Communications Traci Cook said that league execs told her "they are still working on things and that they wouldn't expect to have an update until sometime (today)." NBA Commissioner David Stern said over the weekend that a deal "should be reached by today," noting it was "a matter of lawyers putting in enough time" (HARTFORD COURANT, 4/22).
DETAILS: WNBPA Dir of Communications Dan Wasserman said on Friday that the union membership approved the new deal 56% to 44%. In Sacramento, Debbie Arrington reported that the new deal includes "two of the players' top priorities — free agency and more marketing rights" — as well as a 5% raise in the minimum salary for veterans in '03, from $40,000 to $42,000. The rookie minimum will remain $30,000. Players entering their sixth year of service in '03 become restricted free agents. In '04, those entering their seventh season will be unrestricted free agents, with those entering their sixth season becoming restricted free agents. In '05, a player becomes an unrestricted free agent in their seventh season, restricted in the fifth. The new deal calls for a "substantial loosening of marketing restrictions. In the previous contract, the league restricted a player's marketing rights in 18 different categories." Many players wanted a three-year deal and Wasserman said, "That was the last sticking point before we would accept" (SACRAMENTO BEE, 4/19). The agreement guarantees players a 4% annual increase in salaries through '07 (HARTFORD COURANT, 4/19).
NEGOTIATIONS: In L.A., Lisa Dillman reported that on Friday morning, "a majority of players on a conference call voted to reject the deal," based on its five-year term. Their "change of heart was triggered, among other things, by the realization that the deadline was essentially not a bluff, that Stern would move to cancel the season if no resolution was reached" by 5:00pm ET Friday. The contract has a provision to cut deal to four years, based on attendance, but one source said the projections are so high that the possibility is "unrealistic" (L.A. TIMES, 4/19). One source, noting there were no plans for a joint news conference announcing an agreement, said of the negotiations, "It was not a love fest." WNBPA Dir of Operations Pam Wheeler: "The players realized the partnership, quote unquote, that the players thought was there was not there. It's quite an astonishing revelation" (N.Y. TIMES, 4/19).
REAX FROM THE PLAYERS' SIDE: Wheeler: "From the standpoint of the (length of the contract), we're not happy about the agreement. ... Overall, we were able to accomplish some of the elements that we wanted to accomplish. There were some opportunities to garner goodwill on some elements that didn't effect them (the league) economically. By taking such a hard line stance on free agency, I think the league has alienated its players" (WASHINGTON POST, 4/19). Fever G Nikki McCray said, "We didn't get everything we wanted. The good thing is, I still have a job and they did give us something. Hopefully, in the future, we can negotiate a better deal" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 4/19). Silver Stars G Semeka Randall: "Sometimes you do what you have to do. You want to keep the league alive and move forward. Probably, more than anything, there's relief" (PLAIN DEALER, 4/19). One source said, "In the end, the players had to pay for mistakes by a league that believed their way was the only way to grow the game" (N.Y. TIMES, 4/21).
KING DAVID: In DC, Eric Fisher wrote, "The league won all of the major economic battles in the talks, not surprising considering that days ago, the union admitted moving heavily in the league's direction on salaries to win non-economic concessions" (WASHINGTON TIMES, 4/19). ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski wrote, "The players confessed to breaking down and doing the inevitable: Seeing it the commissioner's way, like they were destined to do" (ESPN.com, 4/19). In DC, Sally Jenkins wrote, "What is `fair' compensation for WNBA players when the league only exists because Stern likes it and believes in it? This is the core issue that could sink the league in the long term. And it will rear its head again" (WASHINGTON POST, 4/19). In N.Y., Selena Roberts wrote, "As much as Stern deserves to be commended for preserving the heartbeat of the WNBA, as easy as it is to throw rose petals at the all-mighty man's leather loafers, he was also the Svengali behind a single-entity model that helped put the women's league at risk" (N.Y. TIMES, 4/21). In Houston, John Lopez wrote, "Clearly, Stern and the league got what it wanted out of this agreement. ... As is often the case in these matters, some thought something subversive was at work — some kind of underlying and unspoken motive to Stern's ultimatum for an agreement. But there was no such nonsense going on as Stern gently tried to nudge the WNBA into oblivion. He just wanted to save money or get out" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 4/19). Sports Business Group President David Carter said, "It's pretty evident that the league came out ahead. All of their givebacks are longer term in nature and many of the players won't be able to take advantage of them because careers don't last that long. It shouldn't be a surprise, though, since ... Stern had all the leverage going in" (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 4/18). In Philadelphia, Larry Eichel writes, "The union has no leverage to exert because the league ... had no profits to share" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 4/22).
I WANT NEXT: In Nashville, David Climer reported that Nashville venture capitalist Jack Tyrrell "heads a group that is exploring the possibility of bringing a WNBA franchise to Nashville for the 2004 season." Tyrrell: "This is a prime market for a WNBA franchise. This state has the most educated consumers of any state in the country where women's basketball is concerned. I think it would be successful here" (Nashville TENNESSEAN, 4/20).
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