The state of the WNBA CBA
Goody frames the issues
By Adrienne Goodson
Billy Hunter is the Executive Director of the National Basketball Players Association. He served as chief negotiator during the high profile labor negotiations in the 1999 Collective Bargaining Agreement between the National Basketball Association and its players.
The Women’s National Basketball Players Association is the union that represents all WNBA players, and was officially formed on November 6, 1998. The Association is comprised of all WNBA players and is governed by an Executive Committee and Player Representatives from each WNBA team. Pamela Wheeler was appointed to the newly created position of Director of Operations for the Women’s National Basketball Players Association in April of 1999. Her first project was coordinating negotiations between the WNBPA and the WNBA, which became the first ever collective bargaining agreement (CBA) in women’s professional sports in June 1999. I was a part of that Executive Committee along with Coquese Washington, Sonja Henning, Sheryl Swoopes, Tina Thompson, among others, but we were the ones at every meeting in New York.
Two Penn Plaza had a fire blazin’ on the top floor. Everyday back and forth with David Stern, Val Ackerman, and who could ever forget Jamin Dershowitz. The place was hot like fire from words of displeasure to people acting out in anger but all for the purpose of women’s basketball and its survival. The details that took place in that room will forever be in my memory bank especially seeing how it has all played out. Some things good and some things bad. Some things changed and others put on the back burner until this January of 2008 when it all begins again. I just hope that a lot more thought goes into the fight.
The Executive Committee now consists of:
President
Tamika Catchings
First Vice President
Ruth Riley
Secretary & Treasurer
Charlotte Smith
Vice President
Tamika Williams
Vice President
Kara Lawson
The player representatives change on a yearly basis due to the player movement around the league. This is necessary in order to get good representation throughout the league. The more voices that are heard the better. Numbers produce change in the sports arena. Whether its scoring points or selling tickets, it’s all about the numbers. More than one person speaking and agreeing on the same subject is power.
There are a few things that concern me as far as the league goes and I am sure they will come to an agreement with these issues after this season. The concerns that stand out in my mind in regards to equality are minimal and can be resolved with the flip of the switch. Well, I’ll let you decide for yourselves.
In the commencement year of the CBA (2003), the Salary Cap was $622,000 and is now $728,000 for the year 2007. Keep in mind the maximum salary is $93,000 (the team can designate two players as core), the veteran minimum is $49,134, the rookie scale ranges from $43,200 to $32,400 depending on the draft selection, and the free agents salary is based upon how many years of service starting at $31,800 up to $49K.
Here’s where it gets sketchy. Say you’re a General Manager of a star-studded team with this salary cap of $728,000. You have two core players off the top, two more all-stars that expect at least $70,000, three other vets, and everyone else slumped around a thirty-thousand dollar salary for fear of running out of money. What kind of way is that to construct a team. Fill your roster up with affordable price players. This always leads to a long season. You get what you pay for. It doesn’t seem fair when we are governed by one of the largest sport enterprises in the world.
We tried to fight for a million per team because it seemed more logical and would make for smoother negotiations. Then I started to think about the clause in regards to the minimum team salary that states, in the event that, by the conclusion of a season, if a team has excess cap money the WNBA shall cause such team to disperse equal payments to the players with a formula reasonably determined by the Players Association. Oh well! we tried. On to the next thing.
The next few issues have to deal with marketing. An area that has to change or will create havoc especially when superstar Candace Parker comes on the scene. With Candace Parker comes a million possibilities and more sponsors but if the rules don’t change some noise will be made. She may not be affected because of who she is but there will be some hoola hoops to jump through because this kid will be Americas most sort after female athlete as far as endorsements are concerned and I bet a few of them will be direct competitors. Hmm…. kinda makes me wonder about the Adidas deal this year.
WNBA Enterprises have the worldwide right to use a players attributes in any form of trade, consumer promotion, marketing, or advertising purposes intended to foster and develop the league. The player may not permit any other entity that directly competes in a designated sponsor category to use her likeness. Let me break it down. The WNBA currently has ABC, Adidas, AOL, Discover Card, ESPN 2, Hannspree, Kohler, Meridian, NBA TV, Nike, Gatorade, Ocean Spray, Russell, Spalding, Southwest, T-Mobile and Toyota. So as a player, you cannot negotiate a contract with television, a credit card company, sports drinks, an airline company, telephone company, or the nearest car dealership. Basically, you cannot enter into agreement with any product or service that would interfere with the WNBA Enterprise. Any sponsorship, endorsement or licensing agreement entered into by a player during the term of her contract, including footwear must be provided to the league. This contract must be a Bona Fide Endorsement Agreement. The value of that contract must be no less than $5,000 dollars and approved by the WNBA.
If a player has a qualifying shoe deal with a manufacturer that is not an authorized WNBA footwear supplier, she may wear the shoes during games, practice and press conferences but without any visible manufacturer’s logo or identification. Those players without a shoe deal have to wear the shoes provided by the WNBA. Now you tell me what shoe company will agree to sponsor somebody but receive minimal exposure due to this crazy apparel rule in section six of the collective bargaining agreement. Yeah the league’s point of view is of course in the favor of Nike and Adidas whose complaint is valid. They invest 15 million dollars in the league. If an XYZ company offers a $5,000 contract and gets exposure then blah, blah, blah.
Once again the league gets richer and you can read between the lines.
Most players are locked into their salary and have no other way to create income due to the stipulations. if you are not one of the marquee players that the league chooses to promote you are once again lumped around a certain salary potential. The players need to share in the wealth right about now. As the league grows, the pay increase continues to be minimal and the players will become disgruntled. The men went through it and now the women. The men had to settle it by locking out. All of which, is not an issue for the women. We will resolve this over time as did our counterparts. Our brothers who fought the good fight and won.
Although Val Ackerman is gone and the crew has a new face, the re-opening of the CBA will come into play. How will David Stern handle this one? Will he open up his hand and pour out the goodness that is due to those in the league and to those who have left? Will the WNBA do what has been needed to be done for a long time? Can those players who have sacrificed themselves to make this league work now be rewarded? I think so. I think he will do the right thing by all parties concerned. The reason why I only address Mr. Stern is because he ultimately makes all of the decisions. All of the decisions with some help from Billy Hunter.
I’d like to thank the WNBPA and its staff for taking time out in the Bahamas to discuss this issue and to make sure that this story is legitimate as well as fact worthy. The end of the season will be the beginning of long debates, long discussions, agreements and disagreements but most of all it will be a time well spent.
This is what the men fought for. We are nowhere near this.
56 Responses to “The state of the WNBA CBA”
Jul.3 at 1:42 pm
DP says:
FIRST.play wit it.
Jul.3 at 1:56 pm
Colie says:
W O W
Jul.3 at 2:00 pm
Cheryl says:
Okay, call me naïve, but the current CBA seems extremely exploitative. Again, going out on a limb here by appearing totally uneducated, but exposure for the players through product endorsements–freely sought by the players and their agents–would do wonders to promote the league. Surely, the more visible the players are, the more intrigue for the casual fan, the more incentive to buy tickets to games, jerseys of your favorite player, and word-of-mouth endorsement of the hometown team. Allowing the players to seek out endorsements seem to me to be a win-win for both parties. In otherwords, it sounds to me like the CBA is effectively shooting the league in its own foot. Am I missing something? School me, my sistah! –ASPOV
Jul.3 at 2:15 pm
Simmy Sosa says:
That’s a difficult situation for the WNBA players. I definitely think the salary cap needs to be raised, and players should be able to have the best endorsements. I hope David Stern does right by these hard-working women and approves a salary cap up at least 1.5 million.
Jul.3 at 2:16 pm
Simmy Sosa says:
*of at least 1.5 million.
Jul.3 at 2:22 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
What an awful agreement.
Jul.3 at 2:22 pm
Jason says:
Personally, if the next CBA stays similar to the current one, the WNBA will not last another 10 years. It is too prohibitive to the exposure of the league and you’d think the league itself would understand that.
Jul.3 at 2:23 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
Or should I say “agreement”?
Jul.3 at 2:32 pm
Goody says:
Please recognize that the ABL had folded and there was no leverage. We had no where else to play and overseas is a long 6 to 8 month season. We wanted so much more but had to accept mediocracy to stay in existence. This will change. It has to. Too many people are now watching and waiting. Probably will be one of the most anticipated CBA meetings in history. Thanks Slam. We really need this exposure.
Jul.3 at 2:32 pm
Greased Up Deaf Guy aka Clay Davis says:
what is the average attendance at a wnba game? what is the average profit(loss?) from a wnba game? ……….this is a business, correct?……… you expect the league to pay you more and lose more money itself? ……………….the players and the game are ultimately the product purchased, so maybe the players could host various events/concerts, or practice their shamgods……………MAYBE ILL GET A SEX CHANGE AND JOIN THE WNBA AND GET PAID AT LEAST 30GS FOR PLAYING BALL FOR A COUPLE MONTHS
Jul.3 at 2:59 pm
Ryan Jones says:
Russ, you should say “agreeance,” if only to maintain the Fred Durst comparisons.
Jul.3 at 3:09 pm
Jason says:
The gist of what you’re saying is on point, Deaf Guy, but silly stuff like not being able to promote a shoe line that you have an endorsement for needs to change. I think that’s the type of stuff that needs to be addressed in the new CBA, not just money. How can you expect to make money with dumb rules like that?
Jul.3 at 3:22 pm
Greased Up Deaf Guy aka Clay Davis says:
the 15 mil nike, adidas, etc. pay the league is where most of the leagues money comes from, so they have to promote their products. when ticket and merch sales are the main source of cashflow, then players would have all kinds of solo endorsements
Jul.3 at 3:23 pm
Allenp says:
A team won’t spend money it doens’t have, that’s stupid. So raising the salary cap isn’t going to bankrupt teams, although it may make it harder for teams with lower revenue to compete. I think the deal with the endorsements is ridiculous.
Jul.3 at 3:26 pm
Cheryl says:
yeah, but that’s the catch-22, deaf. without the kind of exposure that can come from endorsements(print and t.v. ads), ticket and merchandise sales are inevitably limited. –
ASPOV.
Jul.3 at 3:40 pm
Blue says:
How ironic is it that while there are under-paid and under-appreciated WNBA players trying to fight for more pay and exposure, Goody had to verify the facts with WNBPA officials while they’re in the Bahamas…are they based there?
Jul.3 at 3:52 pm
Jason says:
Exactly Cheryl. Exposure is based on being seen, obviously. The WNBA season is what? 3? 4 months long? I watch the league and I still forget about it around October until the draft because there’s nothing to see. Compare that to how many “You’re not a fool”/other sneaker commercials or weird Sprite commercials I’ve seen since the Finals ended. It doesn’t help that the league’s own marketing is terrible and no one wants to watch. The best marketing I’ve seen of the WNBA was by ESPN. How is the league supposed to make money without maximizing its players exposure year-round?
Jul.3 at 3:56 pm
Cheryl says:
And why couldn’t the TV deal Stern just extended not include WNBA games on, say TNT? What the hell else is there to watch during the summer–The Closer? Bin-the f**k-go?? –ASPOV
Jul.3 at 3:57 pm
Cheryl says:
that’s “bingo” in case it didn’t translate well…
Jul.3 at 3:58 pm
Goody says:
Cheryl I was waiting for you my sis. Keep it going. These comments will be discussed by the union.
Jul.3 at 4:02 pm
Blue says:
Class-the f**k-ic, Cheryl!
Jul.3 at 4:04 pm
Dwayne GRBall says:
I have always believed that Women play basketball in its purest form. They don’t rely solely on athletic talent, they work as a team. Other than a Nash to Amare pick and roll we don’t see much in the Men. Pay the Ladies for what they do on and off the Court to represent and be a part of the Basketball world. They should shut down that joke called NBDL and give that Operations money to the Women.
Jul.3 at 4:12 pm
Cheryl says:
Girl, don’t get me started… Let’s lay down the real, the attraction to the NBA’s stars is the money they make. Unconsciously, we (non-elite athletes) live through these young cats with all the dough you could wish for, the ability to take care of their families, and the leisure-scene we imagine (rightly or wrongly) they live through. We (speaking rhetorically here) live through them with every sneaker we buy, every gatorade we drink after playing asphalt-ball, and every jersey we plop down 60 bucks for. So, what I’m getting at is that if the WNBA players are perceived to be living the “lush-life”, they too may become “global icons” that the masses will want a piece of–thru ticket and merchandise sales. Don’t get me wrong, i know the majority of the players play the game because of a love for it, but in a celebrity-obsessed society, this other stuff makes the game marketable, and this profitable. As DP would say–play wit it… –ASPOV
Jul.3 at 4:43 pm
Greased Up Deaf Guy aka Clay Davis says:
cherly, are you suggesting giving all the players fake platinum chains and grills?……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….not many people care about the wnba. thats why theres not much money in it(relatively, at least 30gs for two months? sheeeeeeeeet)…………………….but what are you going to DO about it?
Jul.3 at 4:52 pm
Cheryl says:
No, what I’m suggesting is grant the players the kind of exposure that will create celebrities. Ticket and merchandise sales will go up, trust me. Stern knows exactly what I’m talking about since he did it with the NBA. He promoted celebrities, not teams. Check me if I’m wrong. The celebrity factor is just as important as the game in the new millenium. -ASPOV
Jul.3 at 4:54 pm
Cheryl says:
Why were we so “bored” with this year’s finals? –ASPOV
Jul.3 at 4:58 pm
Cheryl says:
Well, for instance: tell the hard luck story of Cheryl Ford. What she had to go thru to play at a high level. Do a “Sunday Conversation” with her and let her talk about obstacles overcome. The pleasure of winning the chip with her dad, Karl Malone, watching. Make the woman a celebrity. Anyway, gotta go hit traffic. i’ll catch y’all on the other side. This is a great topic! -ASPOV
Jul.3 at 5:35 pm
Greased Up Deaf Guy aka Clay Davis says:
players became celebrities thru their play. magic, larry, isiah, mike. scoop was right, candace parker can change everything
Jul.3 at 5:37 pm
Greased Up Deaf Guy aka Clay Davis says:
i wasnt bored with the finals, i loved it. except i was waiting for finley to be filthy, if the cavs had erica dampier……………
Jul.3 at 6:17 pm
Cheryl says:
Deaf, magic, larry, and isiah weren’t the “celebrity era”. Mike started it with what? Endorsements. Sure, all were great, phenomenal players. But the “global icon” stuff started with shoes, sports drinks, etc. How much was Jordan making on his last Bulls contract? Compared to endorsement dollars? The women can play. Holdsclaw, Staley, Witherspoon, Goody, etc., etc. And sure, I’d love to make 30Gs for two months of work. But I’d also love to make 225Gs a freakin’ game, too! Celebrity. I’m just sayin’… -ASPOV
Jul.3 at 6:44 pm
CamrnCrz1974 says:
Key is to increase revenue for the franchises. If the players and teams can get more fans in the arena (and paid fans at that), they will have more leverage, as the franchises will have more revenue.
Jul.3 at 6:59 pm
Boing Dynasty says:
Titalating
Jul.3 at 8:00 pm
Greased Up Deaf Guy aka Clay Davis says:
for the first time(i think), i agree with a dukie. plain and simple, tickets must be sold, then everyone can make more feria
Jul.3 at 8:54 pm
Chris says:
I dunno. I thought it was pretty stupid when I read an article on T-Spoon in Slam, of course, and the writer (sorry, don’t remember who) mentioned that she had a pretty nice deal with Ballgirl (I think even had a little ownership) and had to cover the logo on the court. Does T-Mac have to cover the adidas logo when he plays for the Rockets? That sounded like the dumbest thing I’d ever heard considering T-Spoon had commercials for Ballgirl with Becky Hammon (Becky was balling at West 4th, IIRC) and drew up interest (this was off the heels of The Shot, so T-Spoon was huge for a WNBA player, and most def. in NY) but couldn’t wear the stuff on the court or in WNBA ads. To me, that was the league cutting off its nose to spite its face. It was directly contrary to what you’d want, which is more opportunities to promote your league through top players/personalities that can attract casual fans —–> sell tickets ——> generate revenue. The NBA benefits just as much from individual player endorsements as its players do. On the other hand, I agree that fans have to realize that the league is a business and the only way people are going to take the league serious is if its fans stop treating it like a charity or a supplement to the feminist movement.
Jul.3 at 8:56 pm
Chris says:
Better example since the league now rocks with adidas: Does LeBron have to cover the Nike logo on the court? What about Crazy Steph in his Starbury’s? Etc.
Jul.4 at 1:44 am
Goody says:
Exactly, the men and women need to ban together its the only way things get done.Thats what I mean when I say the haters need to stop and use that energy to create change. We are all connected believe it or not. Lebron doesn’t even realize that when he signed his contract for 90 million, thousands of WNBA athletes lost their endorsements including myself so that he could be King James. FYI for real. He probably doesn’t have any idea. Wanna talk about that? You people don’t understand. Yall stay tuned cause I’m ready to vent. Like seven years of knowledge and frustration but purely the truth. I love my divas but the truth must be told. Starbury is the greatest idea. Mike Jordan never came through on that promise of affordable shoes for the multitude. Shame on you. Stephon isn’t crazy just loco for his people. The true meaning of I gonna give back fo real. Magic, Jordan, Bird, etc… Where you at? Selling movie theatre tixs or contributing to the very entity that gave u a livelihood. Got damn stay tuned.
Jul.4 at 4:46 am
Adrian says:
No Goody, Steph is definitely crazy… PS It’s “sought” rather than “sort”
Jul.4 at 8:20 am
nothin _personal says:
Haven’t read all the comments, but fron what I know, WNBA is losing money. You can’t afford to allienate companies that are giving money taht basically cover for the entire leagues salary. There no more than maybe five girls that could make money worth nentioning, and that’s exactly the same girls that the “official sponsors” can use to market their products. Would those five players get 15 mil combined, from sports apparel companies? Would any company give serious money for the right to market the non Star players? I didn’t think so. The stars are losing money, but this is the only way to pay everybody, so that there can be a league to play for.There is a need for some changes, but it’s not yet the time to turnover the whole business plan. The boat might just sink.
Jul.4 at 11:40 am
Greased Up Deaf Guy aka Clay Davis says:
correct nothin_…………………………………………………………………goody, youre saying lebrons endorsements is whats holding back the wnba???? red herring, anyone?
Jul.4 at 1:50 pm
david says:
Who cares, you guys don’t make any money anyways, I’m surprised the WNBA hasn’t been shut down yet. You guys are fully subsidized by the NBA, so quit your bitching, and just be thankful you can do it as a career…Jesus. Also, learn how to not use the backboard.
Jul.4 at 4:26 pm
CK says:
No one wants to watch the WNBA, it loses money every year. This doesn’t seem surprising at all.
Jul.4 at 7:04 pm
BeBe Shellington says:
The league is telling the women to appeal to the femimine side of things. Go for the official sponsorship of companies like Victoria Secrets, Clairol and other companies that cater to women. Those deals are all related to what the men did the the NBA. The women should brand products that are more on the feminine side.
Jul.4 at 7:59 pm
yhac says:
I’ve been a WNBA season ticket holder since day one. I will continue to support the players (retired, present and future). My 1st question is: The teams that are no longer owned by the NBA owners, but minority owners how do they feel about the present terms of the contract. To me, under the present agreement, It doesn’t seem that minority owners can make any money or get a return on their investment of owning a WNBA team. The players should be able to do endorsement of other company products, because if nike, addis, reeboks and etc. don’t want to market a line of merchandise for the WNBA for women & men to wear. Example: NBA for her. Why not WNBA for him. Food for thought; What WNBA team colors is Pink? ummm… Point intented, if the sneakers worn by wnba players and endorsed by the players should me manufacture for the fan to purchase it would be a win-win. The salaries that the players make are low, if you’re not the core player, it’s a little hard to live comfortable. End statement; raise the salary cap, let the players do more endorsements to market the Team, Player/s, owners, and arenas that the team plays in.
SPREAD THE WEALTH………
Jul.4 at 8:58 pm
Uknow11 says:
Great article Goody. I didn’t know that the WNBA had things locked up. Not to be able to have those same opportunities as the men is a shocker. I thought that once you made it to that level doors really opens. It opens just enough for a little sip of air.Boy my thoughts about the WNBA and the great opportunities was just smacked down. Don’t get me wrong I like the WNBA but its trees doesn’t have enough branches. I mean you can go to another country and make a h*ll of alot more and the doors are wide open. Yo Goody keep it comin
Jul.4 at 10:54 pm
k_23sly says:
If you all want all of this to be resolved I would suggest to put out more commericals and televise the women’s game more appropiately were young girls of any age can enjoy the talent and commitment that women have for the game. And for sure a women can school man on the court. Since the season is what only 3 to 4 months long pay the women twice as much as they are making now cause they (we) deserve it. I mean here I am doing my best trying to bust through these sterotypes for women and hardly anyone is giving me or others a chance. I just want the opprotunity be that player that made a difference.
Jul.5 at 12:33 am
Brenan says:
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL IS SO UNDERRATED!! I’m sorry to say that,but it’s the truth! What really caught me about this article was the salary! ARE YOU KIDDING ME!! You look at ANY other women sport,and those girls are getting at least almost a million.But you look at women’s basketball..Total different story! It just makes me so mad,that many people seem to think women can’t play! Just cause they don’t dunk every single game!! It’s funny to me how people talk about all of LeBron James dunks,but can hardly remember Lisa Lesile’s dunk? Or how everyone talks about LeBron’s record breaking points,but never talk about Diana Taurasi’s. I guess what I’m getting to is that Women’s Basketball is underrated! Don’t get me wrong I like the NBA,but just because they dunk and show off more than the WNBA’s hard working girls,the NBA gets all the glory? I guess I will never understand that.It looks to me that many people have forgotten what real basketball is? It’s not about the dunking or show-boating.It’s about the passes,the plays,the shots,game winners,and the emotion these girls put in the game.When I watch a WNBA game I see women putting their heart and soul on that court every game,I’m not saying men don’t.What I am saying is the men will get the “spotlight” for it.And what do women get? A little tiny 2 minutes piece on ESPN.That is what I have to say,Hate me or Love me for it,but it’s the truth!!
Jul.5 at 1:54 am
calbearman says:
Excellent article, Goody. I have always been interested in the financing of the WNBA,and this article just adds more questions. If Nike and Adidas are putting $15 million in the league, this is more than the total annual salary for all players combined, approximately $9.5 million. While AOL and Disney (ABC and ESPN) are providing exposure, most of the other corporate sponsors have to be forking over real money. Assuming an average paid attendance of 6,000 at $25, the average gate would be $150,000, or more than $33 million for the season. Add in the ancillary revenues, and the total should be north of $40 million. In the NBA CBA, the players now get 57% of revenues. Even though many non-salary costs will be proportionately higher because of a lower total cost structure, it still seems like only 23% of revenues for players with all of the other restrictions seems low. Could it be that the other administrative costs are overblown, either by NBA teams trying to shift some costs, or by administration that is based on an NBA cost profile, even though the league is more on par with the Developmental league (in terms of revenue)
When the ABL was forced out of business by the cost structure of the WNBA, the women’s game gave up autonomy, the natural playing season, and the ability to grow independent of an overbearing father. If a more reasonable CBA can’t be negotiated, perhaps it is time to revisit the ABL.
Jul.5 at 4:03 am
t says:
What the players get paid is great for only playing for 3 months. Their living expenses are paid for and they recieve a car. Most people that graduate from college dont even get paid what the rookie minimum is the first year on their jobs. I agree with Goody in that the women are being scammed out of hundres of thousands of dollars because they cannont endorse other products from other companies. That is bull and contradictaory to what their nba counterparts are able to do. If they let these ladies get outside endoursements then maybe they dont have to play overseas and can stay stateside to help promote the WNBA.
Jul.5 at 11:00 am
Tammy Garner says:
The players union lost the battle to the league in the first CBA. The last CBA is way in favor of the league, in my opinion. After seeing the all-star list of attorneys on the other side from the players, the players obviously did not have strong enough representation in those negotiations…Cam to the rescue, no? My question for Goody, since you were there, is why did the players not protect the mid-level vets a little better in the last CBA? Veteran players who do not become “stars” got the shaft in the last contract…and I think you would have to agree with that given your experience over the last couple of years. Will the union try to right that wrong, and sell out the rookies…the group they did protect the first time around? While I agree that the disparity of pay that the teams had been giving rookies prior to the CBA was appalling, it seems to me that the fight needed to be tempered without creating a situation where the 5+ year vets got squeezed out. Also, now that Charlotte Smith is a retired player, and coaching, will she be replaced in the leadership of the players’ union? Also, who is representing the players on the legal side?
Jul.5 at 12:04 pm
Solomon Baker,Photojournalist says:
Yo Goody, Your CBA sounds like an indentured servant arrangement. I think David Stern is a highly inelligent, reasonable fellow. Hopefully, the WNBAPA and Mr. Stern will come up with an equitable solution that does not require any judicialy mandated remedial measures. King Solomon
Jul.5 at 7:26 pm
stinka says:
This is a terrible agreement! Why the heck would Candace Parker who WILL be an advertisers dream girl, want to be bother with the WNBA?! When Michael Jordan raised his profile with his bug endorsement deals, it only HELPED the NBA…. I don’t understand this thing at all. Parker can make $500,000- to a mil overseas, plus endorsements, and NEVER step foot on a WBNA court.
Jul.5 at 7:53 pm
stinka says:
**oops*** Proofreading is a skill… meant to type “BIG endorsement deals, it only HELPED the NBA”… I don’t recall MJ endorsing “bugs”… LOL
Jul.5 at 9:45 pm
alta says:
No one wants to watch the WNBA? I’d love to watch it, but so few games are broadcast anywhere except NBA-TV! How does the league expect to build a fan base outside the cities fortunate enought to have a team without televised games? You need players appearing in commercials that run at times other than during the women’s games (talk about preaching to the choir!). And, albeit on a smaller scale, better merchandise.
Jul.8 at 1:15 pm
Ruff says:
AG - greatb article giving the fans, other players and young ballers the insight on the business side of professional sports. Its a topic that needs to be addressed more.
Jul.16 at 4:42 am
Greased Up Deaf Guy aka Clay Davis says:
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzelevenweekszzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Sep.4 at 2:03 am
Trogdor says:
What’s this WBNA thing you speak of?